LIBRARY 

UNIVERSITY  Of 
CALIFORNIA 

SAN  DIEGO 


THE  UNIVERSITY  LIBRARY 

UNIVERSITY   Of    C  vLFORNlA,  SAN  DIEGO 

LA  JOLLA,   CALIFORNIA 


THE  JEWEL  OF  YNYS   GALON 


THE  JEWEL  OF  YNYS  GALON 


BEING    A    HITHERTO    UNPRINTED 

CHAPTER  IN  THE  HISTORY 

OF  THE  SEA  ROVERS 


BY 

OWEN    RHOSCOMYL 


NEW  YORK 

LONGMANS,    GREEN,    AND    CO. 
1895 


COPYRIGHT,  1894, 
BY  LONGMANS,  GREEN,  AND  CO. 


FIRST  EDITION,  MARCH,  1895. 
REPRINTED  APRIL,  1895. 


THE  CAXTON   PRESS 
NEW    YORK 


To 

EVERY  BOY  WHO  EVER  STORED  UP  STALE  CRUSTS  AND  HOARDED 
HIS  POCKET-MONEY  WITH  A  VIEW  TO  PRESENTLY  ANNEXING 
THE  FAMILY  CARVING-KNIFE  AND  STEALING  FORTH  TO  BECOME 
A  BLOODTHIRSTY  PIRATE:  THE  TERROR  OF  THE  SEAS  — 

TO 

EVERY  MAN  WHO  IN  THE  TOIL  AND  STRUGGLE  FOR  SUBSISTENCE 
LOOKS  BACK  WITH  FOND  REGRET  TO  THE  DAYS  WHEN  HE 
STILL  BELIEVED  IN  BURIED  TREASURE  AND  DREAMED  OF  ONE 
DAY  DISCOVERING  SOME  HOARD  WHEREBY  TO  BECOME  RICH 
BEYOND  IMAGINATION  — 

AND  FINALLY  TO 

EVERY  ONE  WHOSE  BLOOD  ROUSES  AT  A  TALE  OF  TALL  FIGHTS 
AND  RECKLESS  ADVENTURE  — 

i$  Booft  is  Most  ifospectfullg  IBcotcateB 
BY  THE  AUTHOR 


PREFACE. 

To  the  ordinary  English-reading  public  it  may 
appear  somewhat  strange  to  find  pirates  located 
in  Wales.  That,  however,  must  be  laid  to  the 
account  of  the  writers  of  fiction,  and  not  to  that  of 
the  chroniclers  of  fact.  A  merely  casual  eye, 
running  over  the  pedigrees  of  the  families  of  note 
bordering  the  Welsh  coasts,  will  scarcely  fail  to 
find,  in  the  majority  of  cases,  one  or  more  in- 
stances of  fine,  imprisonment,  or  outlawry  suffered 
for  the  crime  of  piracy  upon  the  high  seas.  Some 
of  these  punishments  were  inflicted  to  satisfy  the 
clamours  of  foreign  ambassadors  at  the  English 
Court,  notably  in  early  Stuart  days,  while  at  a 
comparatively  late  date  special  measures  were 
taken  to  put  down  the  Welsh  pirates  and  to  clear 
out  their  nests  in  the  chief  ports,  amongst  which 
Cardiff  is  especially  mentioned.  Further,  I  have 
but  to  mention  that  very  pink  and  pattern  of  what 
may  be  called  the  aristocracy  of  the  buccaneers, 


viii  PREFACE. 

Sir  Henry  Morgan  of  fierce  memory  to  wit,  to 
show  with  what  strong  advantages  I  stand  begirt 
in  submitting  this  book  to  the  public. 

Having  thus,  to  a  certain  extent,  cleared  the 
ground,  I  leave  the  reader  to  make  a  closer  ac- 
quaintance with  such  specimens  of  the  race  as 
are  hereinafter  presented. 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  PAGE 

INTRODUCTION:    A  WISE  SAW  AND  A  MODERN  IN- 
STANCE        i 

I.     IN  WHICH  A  GREAT  PERSONAGE  COMES  HOME         .        6 

II.    CONCERNING  WILL  BARRY  AND  THE  AFFRAY    AT 

GORPHWYSFA 20 

III.  TELLING  OF  THE  APPEARANCE  OF  "  MISTER  MOR- 

GAN"           33 

IV.  MY  FOSTER-BROTHER  EXPLAINS      ....      48 
V.     CONCERNING  THE  JEWEL  OF  YNYS  GALON        .        .      59 

VI.    OK  THE  LOSS  OF  THE  JEWEL  AND  WHAT  BEFELL 

THEREAFTER 69 

VII.     "A  VOYAGE  OF  DISCOVERY  " 79 

VIII.     IN  WHICH  OLD  MORRIS  SHOWS  His  SKILL       .        .      93 

IX.    TOUCHING   THE  DRAWING-UP  OF  PLANS  NOT  EXE- 
CUTED   107 

X.  IN  WHICH  I  FIND  A  PIRATE  OF  MY  OWN         .        .120 

XI.     CONCERNING  MY  PIRATE 134 

XII.  TELLING  How  POLWITHY  KEPT  FAITH    .        .        .     149 

XIII.  ENDING  WITH  SOME  PREPARATIONS  FOR  DEFENCE    .     164 

XIV.  DETAILING  THE  BATTLE  OF  PWLLWEN      .        .        .     181 
XV.  IN  WHICH  I  COME  TO  No  SMALL  HONOUR   .    .        .     196 


x  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  PACK 

XVI.  IN    WHICH    I    MAKE    AN    EXPEDITION    AFTER 

TREASURE 215 

XVII.  OF  MY  ADVENTURES  IN  THE  JAWS     .        .        .    230 

XVIII.  IN  WHICH  MY  DEDUCTIONS  ARE  FOUND  CORRECT  244 

XIX.     "  DEW  !  " 259 

XX.  THE  CEREMONY  IN  THE  HOUSE  OF  NUADA         .    276 

XXI.  RECOUNTING  AN  ENEMY'S  ENTERTAINMENT         .    292 

XXII.  TELLING  OF  THE  BLOODY  COMBAT  OF  TY  MAWR    304 

XXIII.  CONCERNING  THE  CHALLENGE  AND  ITS  RESULTS      320 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 


THE  LAST  OF  "NuADA's  FLESH  HOOK"  .        .  Frontispiece 

IVOR  is  EXPELLED To  face  page  n 

THE  REIVING  OF  THE  JEWEL 61 

MEGAN  STEALS  THE  JEWEL  FROM  THE  KING'S  NECK     .  72 

POLWITHY   CUTS   THE   ROPE l6o 

THE  BATTLE  OF  PWLLWEN 188 

URIEN  RHEGED  SLEW  BELRE 226 

IVOR  ATTEMPTS  THE  PASSAGE  INTO  THE  JAWS       .        .  238 

IVOR  CLIMBS  THE  CLEFT  IN  THE  CLIFF          .        .        .  247 

"HERE!"  SAID  DEW,  "CATCH  THAT"          .        .        .  269 

DEW  DOOMS  HORAN 298 

WHO  SHALL  BE  LORD  OF  YNYS  GALON?  i 

r           •  327 
WHO  is  THE  CHIEF  OF  THE  SONS  OF  MORGAN  ?J 


THE    JEWEL    OF    YNYS    GALON. 
INTRODUCTION. 

A    WISE    SAW   AND    A    MODERN    INSTANCE. 

THE  use  of  old  saws  is  reckoned  by  some  to 
betray  a  poverty  of  intellect  in  the  user.  I  do  not 
here  intend  to  enter  into  any  argument  upon  the 
point,  though  I  fancy  I  could  bring  some  very  nice 
details  to  bear  upon  it. 

Behold,  however,  the  beauty  of  a  formula  so 
complete  as  to  prompt  its  application,  century  in, 
century  out,  to  the  wisdom  of  successive  govern- 
ments as  they  move  clickety-clacking  down  the 
ages,  after  the  usual  manner  of  machines  with 
screws  loose.  The  wise  saw  in  point  touches 
the  matter  of  "locking  the  stable  door  after  the 
steed  is  stolen "  and  the  modern  instance  will 
explain  the  birth  of  this  book.  For  the  tale 
herein  told  would  have  been  vastly  more  worthy 
of  the  reader's  attention  had  the  Welsh  Manu- 
scripts Commission  been  appointed  as  many  years 
ago  as  it  can  reckon  days. 


2  THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON. 

You  see,  my  wrath  is  excusable.  A  certain 
young  heir  succeeded  to  the  estate  of  an  elderly 
cousin,  decided  that  the  hall  was  not  good  enough 
to  entertain  and  lodge  his  greatness.  He  must 
have  a  sale  of  the  furniture  and  contents,  and 
therefore  the  auctioneer  was  summoned  at  once 
to  catalogue  the  whole.  Mouldering  away  in  a 
damp  and  musty  garret  a  pile  of  old  parchments 
was  discovered  ;  and,  being  asked  as  to  what  should 
be  done  with  these,  the  heir,  or  the  solicitor,  or 
the  auctioneer,  or  somebody,  gave  the  order  to 
carry  them  out  and  burn  them,  as  not  being  worth 
selling.  No !  nobody  lost  a  leg  or  dropped  down 
dead,  and  yet  this  vandal  order  was  carried  out. 
The  parchments  gave  a  lot  of  trouble,  however, 
and  smouldered  on  for  days,  and  when  I  attended 
the  sale  with  an  eye  to  certain  specimens  of  carved 
oak  I  happened  to  see  the  pile  and,  out  of  curi- 
osity, to  pick  up  a  bulky  parcel  bound  roughly 
into  volume  form. 

It  was  lying  open  a  few  feet  away  from  the 
outer  edge  of  the  pyre  and  sparks  had  lodged 
between  many  of  the  leaves,  scorching  or  eating 
through  them  till  pretty  nearly  half  its  pages  were 
undecipherable.  It  proved  to  consist  of  two  sepa- 
rate manuscripts,  one,  the  earliest,  written  in  Welsh 


THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON.  3 

and  dated  in  the  first  quarter  of  the  last  century  : 
the  other,  a  rendering  of  the  first  into  English, 
done  half  a  century  or  so  later. 

"  Oh  yes,  I  could  take  the  old  rubbish :  I  might 
have  had  all  the  rest  if  I  had  come  before  and 
offered  to  cart  it  away,"  said  somebody  —  whom  I 
felt  a  fierce  desire  to  slaughter  —  and  accordingly 
I  am  able  to  bring  to  the  notice  of  the  public  a 
story  which  interested  me  most  marvellously. 

And  here  I  wish  to  explain  the  difficulty  I  had 
in  preparing  it  for  publication.  The  first  manu- 
script appeared  to  have  been  written  by  Ivor 
Meyric  immediately  after  the  occurrence  of  the 
adventures  related  therein  and,  most  probably,  in 
the  short  interval  between  the  last  scene  on  the 
cromlech  and  his  departure  for  London  upon 
receiving  the  commission  which  his  many  excel- 
lencies had  moved  the  lord-lieutenant  to  procure 
for  him.  The  second,  and  English  version,  was 
written,  as  its  own  pages  testify,  when  Sir  Ivor 
Meyric,  Bart.,  retired  Colonel  of  Horse,  had  fallen 
into  old  age  and  come  to  looking  at  things  from 
another  point  of  view.  Accordingly  I  found  the 
latter  to  be  a  very  free  rendering  indeed  of  the 
former,  altogether  toned  down  and,  in  a  manner, 
bowdlerised!  as  we  have  since  learnt  to  say.  In 


4  THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALOAT. 

the  first  all  the  old  Pagan  rites  and  bloody  super- 
stitions stalk  unchecked  across  the  pages,  dabbling 
with  gory  fingers  their  freest  passages.  In  the 
second  an  attempt  is  made  to  ignore  them,  saving 
where  absolutely  necessary  to  an  understanding  of 
the  narrative,  and  even  then  to  mutilate  them  so  as 
to  make  it  difficult  reading  to  one  unacquainted 
with  the  previous  account.  Add  to  this  that 
whole  pages  of  each  were  burnt  out  and  that, 
while  sometimes  the  one  MS.  could  supply  the 
missing  chapters  of  the  other,  yet  there  were 
places  where  both  were  irretrievably  damaged  and 
I  was  forced  to  painfully  recognise  a  word  or  para- 
graph here  and  there  and  then  apply  my  wits  to 
restoring  the  whole  in  line  with  the  spirit  of  the 
remainder.  This  I  succeeded  in  doing  in  what,  I 
flattered  myself,  was  a  very  passable  manner ;  but 
here  again  I  was  confronted  by  the  difference  in 
spirit  of  the  two  versions.  Not  to  be  baulked, 
however,  I  resolved  to  reconstruct  the  tale  en- 
tirely, making  a  suitable  translation  of  the  Welsh 
MS.  :  giving  as  many  passages  as  possible  from 
the  English  one,  and  piecing  out  the  whole  with 
my  own  ideas  of  the  missing  parts. 

Thus  the  reader  has  before  him  a  tale  consisting 
of  the  handiwork  of  three  different  people.     First 


THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON.  5 

the  young  half-pagan  schoolboy,  Ivor  ap  Griffith 
ap  Howel ;  second  Colonel  Sir  Ivor  Meyric,  Bart., 
of  Dolgoch,  and  lastly  of  your  very  humble  ser- 
vant, the  writer  of  this  introduction. 


CHAPTER   I. 

IN  WHICH    A    GREAT   PERSONAGE    COMES   HOME. 

IN  the  last  fifty  years  or  so,  so  many  tales  have 
grown  up,  each  one  differing  from  another,  about 
the  finding  of  the  treasure  on  Ynys  Galon,  that  at 
last  I  think  it  time  to  set  forth  the  real  facts  of  the 
case  that  the  world  may  be  no  longer  misled.  I 
am  the  readier  to  follow  this  course  for  that  I  am 
now  come  nigh  to  the  threescore  years  and  ten  of 
the  royal  Psalmist,  and  have  a  wish  to  put  matters 
straight  on  this  point  before  it  be  too  late.  The 
story  here  following  then  can  be  relied  on  and 
though,  perhaps,  it  may  lack  somewhat  of  the 
marvellous  and  rich  colouring  of  the  corrupted 
versions,  yet,  in  sober  truth,  I  thought  at  the  time 
of  its  happening  —  and  do  still  think  —  that  it  is 
both  marvellous  and  rich  enough  in  tint  to  satisfy 
any  plain,  honest  man.  Such  as  find  it  otherwise 
I  must  refer,  if  they  be  Welshmen,  to  the  old  tales 
of  the  Mabinogion,  or,  if  they  be  English,  then  to 
the  wonderful  stories  with  which  the  poor  scrib- 

6 


THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON.  7 

biers  do  edify  their  patrons  in  London  town  ;  the 
while  they  themselves  starve  upon  the  proceeds 
thereof — which  last  I  think  must  ofttimes  stimu- 
late their  imaginations  by  the  bitterness  of  the 
contrast  betwixt  what  they  do  create  and  their 
own  circumstances. 

Further,  touching  this  tale  of  mine,  I  have  a 
wish  to  combat  a  most  absurd  contention,  and 
one  very  strongly  held  by  the  commoner  sort  in 
these  parts,  namely,  that  Henry  Morgan,  the  ter- 
ror and  scourge  of  the  Spanish  Main  that  we  hear 
so  much  of,  is  none  other  than  the  Meyric  Ddu 
ap  Morgan  mentioned  in  these  pages,  so  famous 
in  his  day  throughout  Spanish  America  as-  "  Dew 
the  Buccaneer."  But  this  contention  will  be  rele- 
gated to  its  proper  limbo  by  the  intelligent  reader 
ere  he  finishes  this  unvarnished  history,  and  I  shall 
be  heartily  thanked  for  saving  him  from  giving  cre- 
dence to  so  idle  a  tale  as  the  one  aforesaid. 

So  much  by  way  of  foreword,  and  now  to  begin. 

At  that  time  I  was  a  stout  lad  of  seventeen  or 
thereabouts,  hearty  and  well  grown,  and,  as  I 
think,  come  pretty  well  to  my  full  strength.  I 
have  no  doubt  that  I  was  as  conceited  a  young 
blade  as  ever  imagined  himself  a  man  before  the 
down  had  had  time  to  darken  on  his  upper  lip  or 


8  THE  JEWEL  OF  YNYS  GALON. 

he  could  think  of  one  thing  for  two  days  together. 
Nevertheless  I  was  only  a  boy  for  all  that,  since, 
look  you,  instead  of  coming  out  on  top  at  the 
school  to  which  I  had  been  sent  and  passing  to 
the  University  with  honour,  as  my  father  expected, 
I  was  just  newly  expelled  from  that  school  and  was 
sitting  on  the  box-seat  of  the  coach,  on  my  way 
home,  wondering,  between  my  fruitless  attempts 
at  persuading  the  coachman  to  let  me  drive,  what 
sort  of  a  reception  I  should  receive  from  my 
father. 

Not  that  I  felt  any  very  great  fear  of  the  meet- 
ing ;  I  knew  my  father  too  well.  He  was  a 
rough,  bluff  country  gentleman  of  Wales,  whose 
pedigree  was  as  long  as  his  rent  roll  was  short ; 
for  he  could  never  fall  in  with  the  new  notion 
that  one's  people  should  be  tenants  rather  than 
friends,  and  that  a  tenant  was  a  person  who  paid 
a  fixed  yearly  sum  or  made  way  for  somebody 
else  who  would.  No,  he  could  shoot  a  line 
straighter  than  ever  he  could  have  drawn  one, 
even  to  please  old  Euclid  himself,  and  could  a 
vast  deal  easier  total  up  the  points  of  a  horse 
or  dog  and  express  it  in  terms  of  worth,  than  he 
could  have  done  by  a  column  of  figures.  So  long 
as  there  was  plenty  of  "cwrw  da"  in  the  kitchen 


THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON.  9 

and  a  drop  of  something  more  decent  in  the 
dining-room,  with  genial  neighbours  sharing  both, 
he  cared  little  for  what  might  happen  beyond 
the  county,  and  it  would  have  required  one  of  the 
Jacobite  risings,  so  freely  whispered  about  over 
the  goblets  and  tankards,  to  have  roused  him. 

To  this  must  be  added  that  he  had  married 
my  mother  when  he  was  forty  and  she  was  half 
that  age,  and,  when  I  was  born,  she  died.  He 
felt  the  loss  so  much  that  he  never  cared  about 
looking  for  another  wife,  and  had  let  me  grow 
up  under  the  care  of  the  whole  population  of  the 
parish,  for  he  could  not  say  "  no  "  to  any  one  where 
I  was  concerned,  and  my  foster-mother,  or  nurse 
rather,  having  also  died  when  I  had  scarce  begun 
to  walk,  there  was  no  one  else  to  claim  authority. 
You  can,  therefore,  conceive  that  I  was  spoiled 
something  of  the  completest,  being  the  subject  of 
endless  scheming  among  the  old  wives  of  the 
place,  who  each  wished  to  monopolise  my  com- 
pany. 

One  person,  perhaps,  might  have  stood  out  if 
she  had  been  less  tender-hearted,  and  that  was  the 
lady,  a  cousin  of  my  father's  as  we  reckon  kinship 
in  Wales,  who  upon  my  mother's  death  undertook 
the  duties  of  housekeeper  in  my  father's  house 


10  THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON. 

in  Dolgoch.  But,  as  I  say,  she  was  too  tender- 
hearted. 

Again,  there  was  the  parson  and  he  was  sup- 
posed to  have  my  education  in  hand,  but  I  proved 
so  froward  a  pupil  and  so  diligent  only  in  devising 
ways  and  means  of  escaping  my  studies,  that  at 
length  he  was  fain  to  give  up  in  despair  and  advise 
my  father  to  ship  me  off  to  some  school  where 
they  would  speedily  find  a  fashion  of  pinning  me 
down  to  my  books.  And  thus  it  came  about  that  I 
entered  the  school  from  which  I  was  now  expelled, 
a  school  situated  in  a  rich,  fair  county  of  England, 
away  and  away  from  the  cliffs  and  the  shining  sea 
and  the  pleasant  folk  of  Pwllwen  ;  though  perhaps 
it  was  these  last  I  missed  most  in  the  new  days 
when  fagging  galled  me  sorest. 

Nevertheless  at  that  school  the  boys  soon  got  to 
respecting  me  as  one  who  would  fight  whenever 
there  was  need,  and  before  long  I  was  a  recog- 
nised exponent  and  top  "  man  "  in  that  line,  more 
especially  at  wrestling,  the  proud  consciousness  of 
which  helped  me  the  better  to  bear  the  degrada- 
tion of  my  position  at  the  bottom,  when  we  were 
assembled  during  the  hours  of  learning.  • 

For  I  was  a  woful  dunce,  having  been  already 
so  far  behind  when  I  entered  school.  And  per- 


IVOR  is  EXPELLED 


THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON.  1 1 

haps  that  is  the  reason  why,  in  the  reading  of 
this  story,  you  shall  miss  so  much  the  polish  and 
style  which  otherwise  you  had  a  right  to  expect 
from  one  who  received  his  education  at  the  best 
school  in  the  land. 

But  it  was  the  buffeting  and  the  wrestling  of 
which  I  was  so  proud  that  was  the  final  undoing 
of  me  in  this  matter  of  my  education.  It  came 
about  that  when,  as  I  said  before,  I  ought  to  have 
been  near  ready,  according  to  the  miscalculation  of 
my  father,  to  pass  on  to  the  University,  I  must 
needs  fall  foul  of  another  "man"  of  my  own  age 
but  of  vastly  superior  scholastic  attainments  and 
a  great  favourite  with  the  masters  to  boot.  It 
does  not  matter  how  it  arose,  as  it  proved  to  be 
all  a  mistake,  but  I  turned  to  and  thrashed  him  so 
handsomely  that  there  was  strong  prospect  of  his 
missing  his  examination  ;  wherein  he  was  to  have 
brought  so  great  credit  upon  the  whole  school. 
Nor  was  that  all  of  my  offending,  for  I  was  so 
puffed  up  with  conceit  of  my  handiwork  as  to 
answer  most  unmannerly  when  the  master  took 
me  to  task  upon  the  point ;  and  ,so  grievous  was 
my  carriage  during  that  interview,  that,  in  the 
result,  I  was  expelled  at  short  shift :  as  I  have 
previously  intimated.  And  here  let  me  say  by 


12  THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON. 

way  of  comment,  that  in  after  years  I  often  had 
occasion  to  regret  having  made  so  little  use  of  my 
opportunities  of  education  at  that  school. 

But  at  the  time  I  sat  on  that  front  seat  of  the 
coach  I  should  have  scorned  the  bare  idea  of  com- 
ing to  such  regrets,  and  I  was  infinitely  more  con- 
cerned at  the  obduracy  of  the  driver  in  refusing  to 
let  me  handle  the  ribbons.  The  more  so  as  we 
should  soon  come  in  sight  of  the  town  of  Gaerwen, 
where  I  must  leave  the  coach  and  with  it  my  last 
opportunity  of  driving  one,  so  far  as  I  could  see  at 
present. 

And  this  dire  thing  did  actually  come  to  pass ; 
for,  as  we  drew  up  in  front  of  the  Cross  Foxes,  I 
had  to  seek  the  level  of  the  pavement  with  my 
ambition  unfulfilled,  the  disappointment  of  which 
reduced  me  to  such  a  state  of  heat  and  disgust 
that  I  turned  to  the  nearest  loafer  and  directed 
him  to  take  my  box  inside  to  the  best  room  of  the 
inn,  at  the  same  time  ostentatiously  tossing  him 
a  sovereign.  The  coachman  saw  the  coin  and  his 
eyes  twinkled  greedily,  whereupon  I  turned  my 
back  upon  him  and  marched  off  in  my  most  lordly 
fashion,  now  really  angry,  for  I  saw  that  had  I 
offered  a  bribe  on  the  road  I  could  have  attained 
my  great  desire.  And  this  made  my  gorge  rise, 


THE  JEWEL  OF  YNYS  GALON'.  13 

for  I  could  never  abide  meanness  or  to  have  a 
favour  done  me  for  the  money  it  would  bring: 
which  is  indeed  no  favour,  but  a  mere  sordid 
merchandising  of  good  will  and  affection. 

Mine  host,  of  course,  knew  me  well  and  therefore 
my  empty  pockets  did  not  trouble  me  so  far  as  he 
was  concerned.  For  you  are  to  understand  that, 
barring  a  few  shillings  and  coppers,  the  sovereign 
was  the  last  money  I  had ;  so  that  temper  had 
reduced  me  to  poverty,  since  otherwise  a  shilling 
would  have  been  quite  ample  reward  for  the  car- 
rying of  one  almost  empty  box  from  the  coach 
to  the  best  room.  And  so,  I  suspect,  that  loafer 
thought,  for  he  disappeared  instantly  the  job  was 
done  and  was  no  more  seen  during  my  short  stay 
in  the  place. 

Now  so  hastily  had  I  been  sent  down  from  the 
school  that  I  did  not  expect  my  father  to  have  sent 
the  lumbering  family  coach  for  me  and  had  accord- 
ingly made  up  my  mind  to  post  or,  better  still,  to 
ride.  But  this  last  did  not  commend  itself  to  mine 
host  of  the  Cross  Foxes.  I  shrewdly  suspect  that 
he  was  the  wiser  for  one  or  more  experiences  of 
the  after-condition  of  saddle  horses  when  hired  to 
irresponsible  young  gentlemen  on  the  way  home 
from  school.  At  any  rate  he  fell  in  at  once  so  com- 


14  THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON. 

pletely  with  the  post-chaise  idea  as  left  me  no 
room  to  amplify  upon  the  superiority  of  the  other, 
and  I  was  fain  to  yield  apparently,  mentally  saving 
my  purpose  by  deciding  to  change  places  with  the 
postboy  as  soon  as  I  should  be  well  out  of  sight  of 
Gaerwen.  Next,  I  tried  to  persuade  the  landlord 
that  my  dignity  required  four  horses,  but  that 
sympathetic  soul  hinted,  in  the  most  delicate  man- 
ner possible,  that  perhaps  my  father  —  ahem!  —  a 
real  gentleman  he  was  and  one  of  the  old  generous 
sort  who  never  counted  the  items  in  a  bill !  In 
fine,  my  father  might  not  approve  of  four  horses, 
as  savouring  too  much  of  display  and,  in  a  manner, 
aping  the  ways  of  the  spies  and  Government  creat- 
ures who  had  lately  been  cutting  such  a  dash  in 
those  parts,  when  the  Jacobite  whispers  had  risen 
to  an  indiscreet  pitch. 

And,  really  now,  a  light  chaise  with  a  couple  of 
good  hackneys  and  a  smart  postboy  would  be  just 
the  style  for  a  clever  young  gentleman  returning 
from  completing  his  education,  and  a  credit  I 
should  no  doubt  be  to  my  family  and  the  country 
in  general.  In  the  end  so  mightily  was  I  tickled 
with  the  pleasantness  of  his  fine  speeches  that 
I  quite  decided  to  ride  in  the  chaise  all  the  way 
home,  instead  of  exchanging  with  the  boy,  that 


THE  JEWEL  OF  YNYS  GALON.  15 

is  to  say  until  I  reached  the  boundary  of  Pwllwen, 
when  of  course  I  should  be  in  a  manner  bound 
to  consult  my  own  notions  of  what  my  position 
allowed. 

It  is  vastly  conducive  to  enjoyment  to  have 
one's  vanity  tickled  with  so  light  a  feather  and 
so  skilful  a  touch  as  innkeepers  for  the  most  part 
command.  Accordingly,  after  a  very  neat  meal, 
and  a  bottle  of  something  which  I  begged  mine 
host  to  do  me  the  favour  of  sharing, — and  which, 
further,  I  sipped  and  tasted  and  smacked  my  lips 
over  as  if  I  had  been  an  old  connoisseur  and  it 
had  come  from  the  Duke  of  Beaufort's  cellar  or 
the  King's  at  least,  —  the  chaise  was  brought 
round  and  I  got  in.  So  well  satisfied  with  the 
world  in  general  and  myself  in  particular  was  I 
that  I  delayed '  starting  for  a  moment  or  two,  air- 
ing my  greatness  by  indulging  in  an  affable  con- 
versation with  the  landlord,  after  the  manner  of 
the  young  gallants,  and  big  wigs  generally,  whom 
I  had  envied  many  a  time  on  my  journeys  to  and 
from  school.  And  mine  host,  with  that  knowledge 
of  the  weaknesses  of  travellers  w.hich  is  the  gift 
of  a  true  innkeeper,  fooled  me  to  the  top  of  my 
bent,  just  as  he  had  a  few  minutes  before  praised 
my  judgment  of  wines  when  I  smacked  my  lips 


16  THE  JEWEL  OF  YNYS  GALON. 

over  the  sherry,  hinting  that  it  could  be  nothing 
less  than  Amontillado  ;  which  strange  name  I  had 
read  in  a  book  at  school. 

Finally,  as  condescendingly  as  you  please,  I 
nodded  to  the  postboy  and,  with  a  grand  wave  of 
the  hand  to  the  landlord,  my  high  mightiness  was 
rattling  away  over  the  stones  in  commencement  of 
a  journey  of  twenty  miles  or  so,  along  villainous 
roads,  as  I  had  loftily  told  the  postboy,  and  with 
—  what  I  had  not  told  him  —  a  dubious  welcome 
at  the  farther  end. 

Now  for  the  first  and  longest  stage  of  the  way 
I  reckoned  with  my  new  dignity  and  kept  my  seat 
in  the  chaise,  but  with  the  change  of  horses  my 
resolution  slacked.  Ahead  of  me  and  around  I 
saw  the  old  familiar  mountains  and  landmarks, 
and  my  blood  took  to  dancing  so  lightly  that  at 
the  first  decent  turn  of  the  road  I  called  a  halt  and 
expressed  my  intention  of  exchanging  places  with 
the  postboy ;  much  to  his  astonishment.  At  first 
he  flatly  refused,  but  when  I  threatened  to  inflict 
all  manner  of  dire  punishments  upon  him  he  visi- 
bly wavered.  Then  I  tried  persuasion  and  finally 
he  yielded,  whereupon  I  emptied  my  last  remain- 
ing coins  into  his  hand  and  with  a  mollified  grin 
he  climbed  up  into  the  seat  I  had  vacated,  while 


THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON.  17 

I  leaped  into  the  saddle.  It  is  possible  that  those 
two  horses  had  done  some  rollicking  runs  in  their 
day,  but  even  so  I  am  still  of  opinion  that  they 
remembered  that  stage  for  some  time  afterwards. 
Sometimes  we  had  three  wheels  on  the  ground  at 
once,  more  often  two,  while  it  was  seldom  indeed 
that  all  four  were  in  use  at  once.  We  flew  round 
sharp  bends,  scaring  cottagers'  chickens  out  of 
a  year's  growth ;  we  hummed  along  between 
hedges,  raising  dust  enough  to  choke  a  cow ;  we 
drummed  over  bridges  and  through  hamlets,  at- 
tended by  every  dog  in  the  neighbourhood,  all 
barking  like  mad.  It  was  a  glorious  time. 

It  struck  me  at  length,  however,  that  at  this 
rate  I  should  enter  Pwllwen  at  some  inglorious 
shamble  or  broken-down  trot,  which  would  have 
taken  the  polish  off  the  whole  proceedings  ;  there- 
fore, when  we  came  to  the  boundary  stone  which 
marks  the  line  betwixt  the  parish  of  Pengareg  and 
my  own,  I  pulled  in  to  a  walk  and  for  the  next 
mile  petted  and  patted  the  horses  and  laughed  with 
the  postboy  behind.  Then,  as  we  topped  a  little 
hill  and  saw  Pwllwen  a  scant  three  furlongs  away, 
I  raised  a  wild  whoop  and  started  again. 

That  was  a  dash !  How  the  pigs  in  the  ditches 
did  grunt  and  scramble  !  how  the  colts  in  the 


1 8  THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON. 

fields  did  kick  up  and  gallop,  and  how  the  dust 
did  fly  as  we  bowled  along  like  mad  over  the 
bridge.  Then  I  shouted  to  the  folk  in  the  strag- 
gling street,  and  after  that  everything  went  crazy. 

The  postboy  yelled  behind  till  his  cap  flew  off, 
the  dogs  barked  and  leaped  at  the  horses  as  we 
went,  the  children  screamed,  the  boys  threw  up 
their  caps  and  capered ;  the  women  ran  to  the 
doors  and  the  men  hurrahed  like  folk  demented 
as  we  crashed  over  the  cobble-stones  and  drew 
short  up  in  a  cloud  of  steam  and  dust  at  the  door 
of  the  Black  Lion,  where  Evan  Landlord  was  wav- 
ing his  apron  and  shouting  like  the  veriest  boy  of 
them  all. 

Thereafter  the  uproar  subsided  into  laughter  and 
greetings  till  it  rose  into  another  cheer  when  I  di- 
rected that  a  barrel  of  ale  should  be  tapped,  free 
to  everybody,  while  the  postboy,  as  became  his  new 
elevation,  was  to  have  a  jorum  of  punch  brewed 
in  his  especial  honour.  I  said  nothing  about  the 
horses  ;  Tom  Ostler  and  I  knew  each  other  too  well 
for  that,  and  he  would  have  felt  deeply  hurt  had  I 
ventured  to  doubt  him  by  any  recommendation. 

That  was  indeed  a  rare  hour  and  I  went  breast- 
ing about  as  if  I  had  come  back  head  of  a  whole 
University  instead  of  a  dunce  in  disgrace.  But 


THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON.  19 

what  did  college  or  education  signify  just  then  to 
one  who  was  home  once  more  to  his  own  place  and 
people  ?  Was  I  not  Ivor  Meyric,  son  to  Griffith 
Meyric  of  Dolgoch,  with  all  that  that  implied  in  his 
village  of  Pwllwen  ?  I  would  not  have  changed 
places  with  the  King  himself  at  that  moment. 


CHAPTER  II. 

CONCERNING  WILL  BARRY  AND  THE  AFFRAY  AT 
GORPHWYSFA. 

ALL  my  life  I  had  been  accustomed  to  feel  that 
I  was  at  home  so  long  as  I  was  anywhere  within 
sight  of  Pwllwen,  and  as  much  so  in  an  open  field 
as  under  the  roof  of  Dolgoch.  Therefore  it  did 
not  occur  to  me  to  drive  up  the  avenue  to  the 
house  in  a  post-chaise.  It  did  occur  to  me,  how- 
ever, to  inquire  about  my  father  ;  whether  he  was 
at  home  ?  had  he  received  any  letter  concerning 
me  ?  and  so  forth.  In  reply  Evan  Black  Lion  as- 
sured me  that  my  father  had  been  away  on  a  visit 
of  three  weeks'  or  so's  duration,  to  Treffynnon,  and 
was  expected  back  to-day ;  every  minute  in  fact, 
and  that  he  was  riding  and  so  would  come  from 
the  other  side  and  not  through  the  village  at  all : 
at  which  last  item  I  felt  strangely  relieved  without 
troubling  to  reason  why. 

A  letter  had  arrived  certainly,  but  I  knew  it 
would  be  waiting  at  the  hall  still  since  nobody 

2Q 


THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON.  21 

there  would  venture  to  pester  my  father  by  for- 
warding it  to  Treffynnon  :  letters  to  him  having 
mostly  to  do  with  money  owing,  or  other  equally 
unpleasant  things. 

This  was  unwelcome  intelligence  to  me ;  as  I 
should  thus  be  in  contact  with  my  father  at  the 
first  moment  of  his  disappointment  in  me.  Now 
that  I  was  at  home,  my  courage  seemed  suddenly 
to  have  failed  me  and,  at  the  first  blush,  I  seriously 
meditated  flight  to  the  house  of  one  of  the  hill 
tenants,  till  my  father's  wrath  should  have  blown 
over  —  three  or  four  days  at  the  farthest.  Shame, 
however,  kept  me  from  that  in  the  end  and  I 
turned  to  make  further  inquiries.  Was  Will  Barry 
gone  with  my  father  ?  Oh  no  !  he  stayed  at  home 
to  attend  to  the  steward's  work  and  practise  fenc- 
ing as  usual  with  the  sword  he  was  so  fond  of. 
This  relieved  me  immensely  and  when,  a  moment 
or  two  later,  I  set  out  for  the  Hall,  my  spirits  had 
risen  again  to  a  very  merry  pitch  as  I  parted  with 
my  kindly  friends  at  the  bridge. 

I  did  not  take  the  avenue  road  but  stuck  to  the 
short  cut  through  the  woods,  as  had  been  my  wont 
since  ever  I  could  remember.  This  short  cut  was 
comparatively  steep  at  first,  for  Dolgoch  and  its 
park  covered  a  gentle  hill,  between  whose  foot  and 


22  THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON. 

the  sea  ran  the  road  I  had  come  by.  From  the 
Park  gates  to  the  shingly  beach  lay  the  two  hun- 
dred yards  or  so  of  one-sided  street  which  consti- 
tuted the  village  of  Pwllwen,  and  looking  back  at 
it,  as  I  climbed,  I  had  in  addition  a  glorious  view 
of  the  coast  on  either  hand  and  the  shining  sea 
beyond,  lonely,  mysterious  and  beautiful  with  the 
fascination  it  has  ever  held  for  me.  The  road 
from  the  village  on  turned  inland  again,  up  the 
valley  of  the  little  stream  skirting  the  westward 
side  of  the  Park,  for  the  coast  country  immediately 
beyond  was  wild  and  impassable  save  to  mountain 
ponies  or  men  —  a  veritable  paradise  though,  to 
me,  from  my  earliest  years  till  now.  I  did  not  lag, 
however,  for  I  was  eager  to  consult  with  Will 
Barry.  And  perhaps  I  had  better  pause  here  to 
explain  who  Will  Barry  was. 

To  begin  with,  he  was  the  only  child  of  the 
housekeeper,  but  concerning  him  in  that  direction 
you  shall  hear  further  on.  What  was  more  to  the 
point  just  then  was  that  he  was  in  some  sort  both 
foster-brother  and  foster-father  rolled  in  one  to 
me.  Twelve  or  thirteen  years  older  than  myself, 
he  had,  upon  the  death  of  my  nurse,  summarily 
set  the  women  folk  at  defiance  and  taken  me  in 
hand  himself,  being  then  a  wild,  untamable  sprig 


THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON.  23 

who  spent  most  of  his  days  by  cliff  or  waste  and 
his  nights  in  crooning  fierce  old  ballads  to  the 
music  of  his  harp.  Considering  the  blood  he  came 
of,  however,  this  was  to  be  expected,  and  so  the 
tenant  folk  half  loved,  half  feared  him,  and  held 
him  in  no  little  awe:  while  his  own  kin,  the  Ap 
Morgans  of  the  village,  nodded  their  heads  in  grim 
approval.  As  the  days  wore  on  and  I  was  put  to 
study  under  the  parson,  he,  as  a  matter  of  course, 
studied  too  and  profited  enough  for  both  of  us, 
insomuch  that  when  I  was  packed  off  to  college  he 
was  sufficiently  learned  to  keep  the  old  steward's 
accounts,  whenever,  as  often  fell  out,  that  worthy 
old  toper  went  off  for  weeks  together  on  a  drink- 
ing bout. 

So  well  did  he  acquit  himself  at  such  times  and 
so  passionate  was  he  for  fair  and  kindly  dealings 
all  round,  that  when  at  last  old  David  Steward 
fell  dead  of  an  apoplectic  stroke,  he  found  himself 
saddled  with  the  duties  of  steward  and  factotum  in 
general,  nobody  having  appointed  him  thereto  and 
nobody  dreaming  of  anybody  else  filling  the  office. 
All  of  which  would  have  caused  hjm  a  huge  disgust 
had  it  not  been  that  now  he  considered  himself 
able  to,  in  some  degree,  requite  thus  the  kindness 
of  his  kinsman,  my  father ;  and  at  the  same  time 


24  THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON. 

indulge  his  passion  for  keeping  folk  happy  by  being 
just  or  erring  on  the  side  of  mercy.  He  did  not 
commit  those  errors  on  his  own  responsibility,  but 
he  could  put  a  case  so  earnestly  that  my  father 
would  become  warmer  than  he  on  that  side  and  so 
the  whole  place  gained  in  intensity  of  affection, 
while  as  for  cash  —  why  Dolgoch  could  always 
draw  another  bill.  Perhaps  his  chiefest  reason, 
though,  for  sticking  to  the  stewardship  lay  in  his 
relation,  as  head  of  the  Ap  Morgans  of  Pwllwen 
(whom  he  ruled  through  old  Morris  Las),  to  my 
father's  house,  a  reason  the  weight  of  which 
will  become  amply  apparent  as  this  tale  pro- 
ceeds. 

Thence,  too,  sprang  his  most  characteristic  habit, 
alluded  to  by  Evan  Black  Lion,  for  day  in  and  day 
out,  through  it  all,  there  was  one  pursuit  and  one 
aim  which  he  never  deviated  from  following.  In 
all  the  manly  exercises,  running,  leaping,  wrestling, 
quarterstaff  and  singlestick,  he  was  the  pride  of 
the  coast  country,  while  he  was  the  best  shot  in  a 
day's  ride.  But  the  one  thing  above  all  else  he 
practised  was  the  use  of  the  sword,  and  Huw 
Trooper,  who  had  served  in  the  wars  of  the  Low 
Countries  almost  all  his  life,  owed  his  position  as 
retainer  at  Dolgoch  entirely  to  his  skill  with  that 


THE  JEWEL  OF  YNYS  GALON.  2$ 

weapon,  which  he  had  daily  to  use  in  a  stiff  bout 
against  the  steward. 

Not  that  Will  Barry  would  ever  do  much  good 
fencing  in  the  hurly  of  a  battle,  opined  old  Huw  : 
he  was  too  fierce  and  impatient  by  nature  for  that, 
but  wherever  he  made  a  cut  something  would  be 
shorn  away,  and  wheresoever  he  planted  a  thrust 
daylight  would  follow,  which,  after  all,  would  count 
most  in  a  press  any  day.  With  all  these  accom- 
plishments in  addition  to  his  natural  love  for  me, 
it  is  small  wonder  that  he  was  my  hero  and  that  I 
paid  grave  heed  to  his  admonitions  and  advice  and 
set  myself  with  great  pains  to  learn  when  he  made 
a  task  of  teaching  me  these  same  manly  sciences. 
If  I  had  acquitted  myself  of  book-learning  one-half 
so  well  as  I  did  with  regard  to  these  other  branches, 
then  I  had  assuredly  become  a  most  famous  pro- 
fessor in  very  short  time. 

The  reader  will  now  understand  why  I  was  in  a 
hurry  to  get  the  ear  of  Will  Barry  before  my  father 
should  return. 

The  path  through  the  wood  was  merely  a  sort  of 
deer  or  sheep  trail,  running  by  bush  and  boulder, 
bracken  and  close  timber,  till  it  reached  a  little 
open  space  about  half-way  home.  Here  the  heather 
made  a  purple  carpet  to  tempt  the  wandering  feet, 


26  THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON. 

and  there  were  nooks  that  invited  one  to  lie  limb 
length  in  the  afternoon  sun  —  a  pleasant  place  to 
come  upon  was  that  and  we  had  always  called  it 
"Gorphwysfa." 

One  of  its  charms  was  the  suddenness  with 
which  one  breasted  into  it  from  either  direction, 
for  it  was  not  distinguishable  until  you  were 
actually  within  a  stride  or  two  of  it.  This  day, 
however,  in  my  pride  of  home-coming  I  was  deter- 
mined to  locate  it  before  reaching  if,  and  so  I  went 
quietly  and  with  senses  alert.  Presently,  when 
I  thought  I  must  be  near  it,  my  ears  caught  sud- 
denly the  sound  of  oaths  and  scufflings  and  imme- 
diately I  quickened  my  pace  to  a  run. 

A  dozen  strides  and  I  was  upon  the  edge  of  the 
open  space  and  in  full  view  of  a  sight  that  made 
me  pause  till  I  could  take  it  in.  Close  in  front  of 
me  lay  a  villainous-looking  fellow  stretched  at  full 
length,  nursing  a  broken  head  with  both  hands 
and  growling  out  strange  seaman's  curses,  in  a 
mazed  sort  of  way,  as  the  blood  dripped  through 
his  fingers.  But  this  was  not  the  main  thing,  for, 
in  the  depths  of  a  dense  bush  at  the  left  edge  of 
the  clearing  I  could  both  hear  and  see  that  a  des- 
perate struggle  was  a-stirring,  though  from  where 
I  paused  the  whole  affair  looked  most  like  some 


THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON.  27 

fight  of  wild  beasts.  But  it  was  a  fight  and  that 
was  quite  enough  for  me.  With  one  bound  I 
cleared  the  prostrate  form  of  the  ruffian  in  front 
and  dashed  across  to  the  bush.  There,  all  in 
amazement,  I  stood  at  first  to  see  that  tangle  of 
legs  and  arms  and  hazel  withes  which  seemed  as 
if  it  never  could  be  extricated  and  set  right  again. 
Then  a  face  showed  for  an  instant  and  I  raised  a 
sharp  shout  of  sudden  anger,  as,  in  spite  of  blood 
and  mud  and  tangle,  I  recognised  the  features  of 
Will  Barry. 

He  was  gasping  and  nearly  done  for,  being  upon 
his  back,  yet  still,  with  the  old  stubborn  strength 
I  knew  so  well,  was  gripping  the  necks  of  two  of 
his  assailants  close  to  his  own,  and  with  the  grip 
of  his  locked  hands  and  rigid  arms  was  nigh  to 
breaking  both,  while  their  arms  and  bodies 
thrashed  and  squirmed  in  vain  attempts  to  free 
themselves. 

The  third  had  been  endeavouring  to  hold  his 
legs  and  had  found  himself  as  fast  as  a  badger  in 
a  trap.  I  saw  all  this  in  a  flash  and,  instantly 
therewith,  flung  myself  upon  the  one  in  his  left 
arm.  Setting  my  knee  in  the  fellow's  back  I  took 
him  by  the  pigtail,  and  as  soon  as  Will  could  let 
him  go  I  jerked  his  head  back  till  his  throat  was 


28  THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON. 

as  taut  as  a  harpstring.  Then  with  a  sharp  back 
stroke  from  the  edge  of  my  open  hand  fair  in  the 
Adam's  apple  I  stopped  his  wind,  and  rising,  flung 
him  aside  on  the  broad  of  his  back,  well  assured 
that  for  the  next  few  minutes  he  would  have  more 
than  he  could  well  manage  in  trying  to  draw 
breath. 

The  fellow  caught  in  the  leg  grip  had  by 
this  squirmed  half  loose  and  I  called  briefly  to 
Will  to  let  him  go.  No  sooner  was  he  free  and 
standing  than  I  took  him  with  a  hip  lock  and 
threw  him,  for  he  had  not  got  his  wind  yet. 
Swift  as  he  fell  I  was  upon  him.  Slipping  my  two 
arms  under  his  from  behind  I  locked  my  hands 
on  the  back  of  his  neck  and  setting  my  right  knee 
between  his  shoulders,  tightened  the  pressure  till 
he  burst  out  in  a  volley  of  frightful  oaths.  But 
there  is  no  escape  from  that  lock,  and,  after  one 
sharp  effort  to  loose  it,  the  hard  frame  beneath 
me  slacked ;  the  smothered  curses  died  away ; 
there  was  a  long  breath  that  hissed  through  the 
set  teeth ;  a  low  groan,  and  next  a  faint,  sick  yell 
as  I  gave  a  final  wrench. 

At  once,  for  I  knew  he  would  fight  no  more 
that  day,  I  loosed  my  hold  and  let  him  lie  out, 
limp  and  nerveless,  while  I  turned  to  aid  Will 


THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON.  29 

with  the  last.  But  meanwhile  the  struggle  had 
gone  against  him.  When  he  held  the  two  by 
their  necks,  the  closeness  of  their  position  to- 
gether baulked  all  their  attempts  at  getting  a 
sure  hold  with  their  hands,  while  the  hazel  tan- 
gle prevented  good  footing ;  but  when  I  took  off 
the  one  the  other  found  room  to  get  a  grip  and, 
as  Will  was  so  far  spent,  it  went  hard  with  his 
chances. 

A  knife  which  had  belonged  to  the  one  I  first 
tackled  was  lying  handy  in  the  bushes,  and  the 
villain  he  was  locked  with  bent  all  his  energies 
to  reach  it.  Even  as  I  rose  he  seized  it,  and  I 
heard  the  panting  curse  that  broke  from  him  as 
he  lifted  it.  Quick  as  I  moved  to  throw  myself 
upon  his  arm,  the  knife  was  quicker,  and  I  saw 
the  flash  as  it  descended,  with  the  red  blood-spurt 
that  followed.  Mad  with  rage  at  so  dastardly  a 
deed,  I  fell  upon  the  bloody  miscreant  with  such 
fury  that  he,  having  been  fain  to  let  go  the  knife 
in  order  to  escape  the  fierce  clutch  of  his  victim's 
hand,  and  taken  utterly  by  surprise  as  he  stag- 
gered, gasping,  back,  made  no  attempt  to  defend 
himself,  but  fairly  turned  and  fled.  I  was  not 
minded,  though,  that  he  should  escape  so,  there- 
fore I  sprang  after  him,  but,  at  my  second  leap, 


30  THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON. 

lighted  upon  a  slippery  tree-root  and  came  down 
with  such  a  bang  as  dazed  me  for  an  instant,  so 
that  afterwards  I  was  thankful  the  discomfited 
scoundrel  was  too  far  gone  to  turn  back  and  stab 
me  also. 

Then  I  remembered  that  the  other  villains 
should  be  looked  to  and  prevented  from  either 
new  mischief  or  escape.  The  sight  of  Will  Barry, 
however,  lying  pale  and  bleeding  in  the  bush,  drove 
all  other  thoughts  away  and  I  rushed  at  once  to 
his  side.  But  the  huge  sob  sticking  in  my  throat 
burst  into  an  exclamation  of  delight  as  I  knelt 
beside  him,  for  he  greeted  me  with  a  brave  attempt 
at  a  smile,  and  though  his  left  hand  was  pressed  to 
his  wound,  he  took  my  right  hand  in  his  and  gave 
it  a  fairly  strong  grasp  as  he  gasped  out,  "Just  in 
time  —  Ivor." 

Straightway  I  fell  a-dressing  and  a-bandaging, 
and  so  busy  and  so  glad  was  I  to  find  that  the 
wound,  though  serious,  was  not  mortal,  that  when, 
upon  finishing,  I  rose  to  fetch  a  hatful  of  water 
from  a  near  spring,  I  was  utterly  astonished  to 
find  the  remainder  of  the  discomfited  rogues  clean 
gone  and  vanished. 

Notwithstanding  this,  however,  I  would  not 
leave  my  foster-brother,  as  he  urged,  and  go  up 


THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON.  31 

home  for  servants  to  carry  him,  since  I  dreaded 
lest  his  late  assailants  might  be  still  lurking  near, 
ready  to  repeat  the  attack  the  instant  he  was  left 
alone.  He  seemed  himself  to  think  scorn  of  any 
such  danger  and  was  so  comfortable  upon  the 
point  that  at  last  I  consented  to  run  a  short  dis- 
tance up  the  path  and  try  my  lungs.  My  loud 
and  long  halloo  at  first  brought  no  response  and 
I  was  turning  back,  bootless  of  my  effort,  when  I 
heard  a  whirl  of  leaves,  the  rush  of  padded  eager- 
ness, and  next  instant  old  Marchog,  my  bonny  old 
hound,  truest  and  faithfullest  of  his  breed,  was 
leaping  and  rolling  round  me,  filling  the  air  with 
noises  of  delight  and  half  frantic  with  joy,  as  we 
burst  back  into  the  clearing  and  reached  Will 
Barry  again.  At  sight  of  him  the  old  dog  fell 
into  a  distracted  state,  whining  first  over  the 
bloody  bandages  and  pale  face  and  then  breaking 
out  into  three  or  four  short  barks  of  delight  as  he 
looked  up  into  my  face.  Here,  however,  was  a 
messenger,  and  without  loss  of  time  I  smeared 
my  hat  with  blood  and  gave  it  to  him,  telling  him 
to  carry  that  up  to  the  hall.  The  commission 
sobered  him  at  once  and,  with  the  stout  carriage 
he  ever  assumed  when  duty  was  afoot,  he  dashed 
off  up  the  path  to  obey. 


32  THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON. 

Hardly  had  I  time  to  turn  round  twice,  as  it 
seemed  to  me,  ere  old  Marchog's  signal  came  float- 
ing through  the  trees  in  a  long  howl  of  impatience, 
telling  that  the  men  had  leashed  him  to  guide  them 
back.  Presently  after  I  caught  the  sound  of  men 
dashing  along  the  narrow  path  with  crash  of  brush- 
wood and  clatter  of  weapons,  and  in  upon  us  broke 
the  party,  Evan  Woodcutter  leading,  with  uplifted 
axe,  and  followed  by  half  a  dozen  from  the  stables 
and  kitchen,  old  Huw  Trooper  growling  and  limp- 
ing along  in  rear,  swearing  the  while  at  his  ina- 
bility to  keep  up.  The  clamour  of  their  welcome 
to  me  broke  off  short  as  I  showed  them  Will's  con- 
dition and  bade  them  haste  to  cut  and  weave  a  lit- 
ter for  the  bearing  of  him.  At  the  same  time  I 
started  Huw  Trooper  and  three  others  on  the  trail 
of  the  four  who  had  attacked  us,  bidding  them 
arrest  the  fugitives  and  lead  them  to  the  Hall  to 
await  my  father's  coming. 

Then,  the  litter  being  shortly  ready,  we  lifted 
the  wounded  man  upon  it  and  slowly  took  the  path 
for  Dolgoch. 


CHAPTER   III. 

TELLING    OF    THE    APPEARANCE    OF    "MISTER 
MORGAN." 

WHEN  we  came  to  the  hall  door  we  heard  a 
great  din  of  swearing  and  stamping  and  hammer- 
ing of  whip  stock  inside,  for  my  father  was  just 
ridden  to  the  door  and  had  found  no  man  about 
the  place  either  to  attend  his  horse  or  himself. 
The  housekeeper  was  somewhere  above  stairs  and 
the  maids  were  vainly  attempting  to  break  in  upon 
his  wrath,  in  order  to  explain,  when  the  sight  of  us 
and  our  burden  coming  to  the  open  door  caught 
their  eyes  and  they  set  up  a  chorus  of  little  shrieks, 
thereby  causing  my  father  to  turn  and  see  us  also. 

"  Hullo  !  What  is  the  matter  ?  What  brawl  is 
this,  Ivor  ?  "  He  appeared  not  to  remember  that 
I  was  supposed  to  be  away  at  school  in  England. 

"  Will  Barry  has  been  stabbed  !  "  I  made  answer. 

"  Stabbed  !  who  by  ?  Here,  Dick  Groom !  take 
my  horse  and  ride  for  David  Doctor!  Fly!  Who 
did  you  say  stabbed  him  ? "  This  last  to  me  again. 
D  33 


34  THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS   GALON. 

"There  were  four  of  them  ;  all  strangers  to  me, 
sir." 

"  Strangers  here  at  Dolgoch !  but  surely  some  of 
you  can  recognise  them.  Have  their  bodies  taken 
down  to  the  Black  Lion  at  once,"  he  commanded. 

"  If  they  are  caught  they  are  to  come  up  here, 
sir.  That  was  my  order,"  replied  I. 

"Caught,  sir!  caught!  What!  Will  Barry 
stabbed  and  nobody  dead.  What  do  you  mean, 
sir  ?  Explain  !  " 

I  took  mighty  short  order  in  the  explaining,  as 
you  may  well  believe,  and  by  the  snorts  of  impa- 
tience with  which  my  father  punctuated  the  narra- 
tive, I  was  quite  prepared  for  the  huge  disgust  at 
the  whole  affair  which  he  condensed  into  a  single 
word  when  I  had  finished.  We  will  merely  call 
that  word,  well,  —  anything  you  like,  and  go  on. 

Here,  however,  Will  interposed  himself  and  with 
great  effort  tried  to  assure  my  father  that  it  was  all 
a  surprise  and  that  I  had  handled  three  men  to  my 
own  share.  This  in  turn  roused  me  and  I  was  be- 
ginning to  combat  it  as  stoutly  as  a  son  may  in  his 
father's  presence,  when  we  heard  a  little  cry  from 
the  stairs,  and  down  flew  Will's  mother. 

The  distress  of  that  next  minute  for  us  all  I 
can  hardly  picture,  but  from  my  father's  alternate 


THE  JEWEL  OF  YNYS  GALON.  35 

efforts  first  to  comfort  his  cousin  and  then  to  re- 
lieve his  feelings  upon  his  manifest  failure  in  that 
task,  by  roundly  abusing  the  rest  of  us  —  I  should 
judge  that  his  feelings  were  as  acutely  wretched  as 
any  person's  there.  Another  two  minutes  of  this 
and  I  believe  he  would  have  stalked  off  with  a 
fowling  piece  to  hunt  up  old  David  and  hasten  him 
with  a  load  of  small  shot,  when  there  came  the 
welcome  sound  of  hoofs  pounding  up  the  avenue 
and  the  doctor  was  in  a  flash  dismounting,  hatless 
and  with  his  wig  held  firmly  on  by  his  left  hand. 

His  arrival  quieted  the  wailings  and  there  fell  a 
very  anxious  moment  while  he  made  a  swift  exam- 
ination of  his  patient.  At  first  he  looked  very 
grave,  but  as  he  continued  his  face  lightened,  and 
there  were  long  sighs  of  relief  to  welcome  his 
words  when  at  last  he  said  :  "Oh,  that's  better! 
Dear  King !  It's  not  nearly  so  bad,  after  all,  as  I 
was  first  thinking." 

Even  the  mother  quieted  at  that  and  my  father 
rapped  out  a  strong  expression  of  delight  when 
finally  the  doctor  ended  by  telling  us  that  "  it  had 
missed  the  —  "  something  with  a  dangerous  sound- 
ing name,  though  I  do  not  know  what  it  was  or 
what  it  meant.  It  was  quite  enough  for  us  all  to 
gather  that  there  was  no  immediate  danger,  and 


36  THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON. 

that  a  month's  nursing  would  likely  set  the  patient 
up  as  sound  and  strong  as  ever.  Meanwhile  he 
was  to  be  carried  up  to  bed  and  was  not  to  be  wor- 
ried or  allowed  to  talk.  Which  instructions  be- 
came law  at  once;  for  all  the  household  loved 
Will  Barry. 

This  new  aspect  of  affairs  so  pleased  my  father 
that  he  bade  me  accompany  him  to  the  library,  as 
the  room  wherein  he  spent  most  of  his  time  was 
called,  though  its  few  books  were  mostly  treatises 
upon  war  and  sports,  and  could  well  have  been  be- 
stowed upon  one  window  ledge.  Here  he  made 
me  go  over  the  whole  story  again,  making  much 
of  any  point  which  his  love  for  me  could  con- 
strue to  my  credit,  and  thereby  causing  me  to  be 
much  ashamed  of  my  conduct  at  school  and  very 
sorely  grieved  at  the  prospect  of  having  shortly  to 
confess  my  misdeeds  in  that  direction.  For  I 
judged  it  wiser  to  be  beforehand  of  the  letter  and 
to  tell  him  the  plain  truth  that  I  was  no  scholar 
and  never  would  be,  and  that  I  would  far  fainer  be 
an  honourable  country  gentleman,  as  my  father 
and  his  father  had  been  before  me,  than  a  petti- 
fogging cozener  of  unfortunate  folk ;  even  though 
that  should  lead  to  the  woolsack  and  a  peerage. 

And  I  think  my  father  in  his  heart  liked  me  the 


THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON.  37 

better  for  my  speech,  for  instead  of  breaking  out 
into  sharp  censure  at  my  failure,  he  only  heaved 
a  deep  sigh,  saying :  "  It  was  for  your  own  good, 
Ivor !  But  I  will  explain  some  other  day." 

Then  I  was  directed  to  stand  up  that  he  might 
judge  of  my  growth  since  my  last  holiday  and 
admire  what  he  called  "  the  pretty  figure  of  a  man 
I  was  making."  The  disordered  state  of  my  dress 
next  moved  him  to  decide  that,  as  I  had  now  left 
school,  I  must  dress  as  became  my  position  in  his 
house. 

"  And  wear  a  sword,  too,"  he  went  on  with  sud- 
den heat;  "these  wind-juggling  fools  in  London 
may  say  what  they  like  about  disarming  the  dis- 
affected in  Wales ;  but  my  people  shall  no  longer 
go  at  the  mercy  of  every  stark  thief  who  chooses 
to  attack  them.  We've  been  two  years  carrying 
cudgels  as  if  we  were  batmen  to  my  lords  the 
King's  ministers ;  but  from  this  day  on  we  will 
carry  weapons  as  becomes  free  men,  and  loyal, 
too,  if  they  will  only  let  us  alone  with  their 
appointments  and  their  officers." 

As  you  may  guess,  I  was  mightily  pleased  to 
hear  such  high  words,  for  where  there  is  heat  and 
discontent  there  is  chance  of  dispute  and  hard 
knocks ;  and  what  can  so  please  a  young  man  as 


38  THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON. 

that  ?  But  I  kept  my  glee  under  and  merely  an- 
swered, soberly  and  dutifully,  that  he  was  quite 
right,  I  was  sure,  and  I  should  be  glad  indeed 
when  our  people  could  wear  their  weapons  as  the 
wont  had  been,  for  I  believed  that  the  interdict 
had  occasioned  great  murmuring.  To  have  me  so 
echo  his  own  ideas  pleased  my  father  immensely 
and  accordingly  the  tailor  was  sent  for  upon  the 
instant,  while  the  meantime  'twixt  that  and  his 
arrival  was  to  be  spent  in  choosing  a  suitable  dress 
sword  wherewith  to  grace  my  new  worship. 

And  thus  it  fell  out  that  I  never  had  to  listen  to 
a  single  reproach  anent  the  cause  of  my  leaving 
school. 

As  soon  as  the  interview  with  Shahm  Tailor  was 
over  my  father  announced  his  intention  of  going 
down  to  the  village  to  see  about  the  capturing  of 
the  villains  who  had  attacked  Will  Barry.  I  was 
to  accompany  him  and  Walt.  Tygwn  was  to  at- 
tend us  with  a  fowling  piece.  We  took  the  foot- 
path and  my  father  was  greatly  interested  in  the 
signs  of  struggle  still  evident  when  we  reached 
Gorphwysfa. 

"  What  has  the  dog  found  ? "  said  he,  as  old 
Marchog,  who  had  followed,  suddenly  quested  for- 
ward and  then  stopped  to  sniff. 


THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON.  39 

"  A  knife,"  answered  I,  as  I  stooped  to  pick  up 
the  find. 

"That  is  a  curious  bit  of  work,"  commented  my 
father,  as  he  took  it  and  began  to  examine  it 
closely.  "Seems  to  me  to  be  a  Spanish  make, 
such  as  I  have  seen  when  travelling  in  Spain, 
though  there  they  told  me  that  the  like  of  it  were 
chiefly  made  for  the  rich  settlers  of  Spanish  Amer- 
ica, who  alone  could  afford  to  pay  for  them;  Do 
you  see  the  rich  damascening  and  gold  inlay  of  the 
blade  ?  and  especially  do  you  mark  the  beautiful 
workmanship  and  mounting  of  the  haft  ? "  queried 
my  father,  holding  it  so  that  I  might  con  the  rare 
value  and  handsomeness  of  the  dagger. 

"  These  men  were  seafaring  men :  I  could 
plainly  swear  to  that,"  said  I,  by  way  of  answer. 

"  Aye !  that  we  may  be  sure  of,"  went  on  my 
father ;  "  but  not  common  seamen.  Your  ordinary 
mariner  carries  an  ordinary  knife  in  his  belt.  He 
does  not  trim  a  loose  lashing  with  a  dagger  that 
is  worth  five  and  twenty  pounds  if  it  is  worth  a 
penny." 

"Perhaps  they  are  buccaneers  shipwrecked  on 
this  coast  and  tramping  toward  Bristol  to  take 
ship  again.  Might  it  not  be  that  they,  being  des- 
titute and  not  choosing  to  be  had  up  to  give  an 


40  THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON. 

account  of  themselves  before  a  magistrate,  should 
lie  here  in  the  woods  intending  to  rob  Dolgoch  in 
the  night ;  and  that,  Will  Barry  finding  them,  they 
set  upon  him  to  murder  him  and  so  prevent  dis- 
covery ? " 

"  Well  now,  Ivor,  that  Doctor  Deeply  must  have 
been  a  rare  fool  to  say  you  were  a  slow  wit,  for 
that  is  as  clever  and  likely  an  explanation  as  could 
possibly  be,  and  I  don't  doubt  but  what  these 
rogues  will  confess  the  same  at  once  when  I  have 
them  before  me.  We'll  hurry  down  and  see  about 
them  at  once ;  I'll  teach  them  to  try  their  rascali- 
ties here,  I  warrant  you." 

But  though  we  made  all  speed  to  the  Black 
Lion,  we  found  on  our  arrival  that  we  might  have 
spared  our  wind,  for  Huw  Trooper  was  standing 
under  the  great  oak  in  front  and  swearing  like  — 
like  a  trooper,  at  his  ill  success. 

It  appeared  that  while  he  and  his  men  were 
searching  the  wood,  four  men  had  passed  boldly 
over  the  bridge,  and,  skirting  the  village,  had  be- 
taken themselves  to  the  beach  and  there,  turning 
left,  had  continued  to  the  foot  of  the  cliffs,  where 
a  very  long  and  roomy  boat  had  taken  them  on 
board,  putting  out  to  sea  immediately  afterwards. 

As  to  who  the  four  were,  Charles  Penrhiw  had 


THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON.  41 

a  word  to  say.  Penrhiw  lay  a  mile  or  so  beyond 
where  the  boat  had  anchored  but  in  a  position 
that  enabled  Charles  to  see  it  well.  He  saw  that 
it  was  a  stranger  and,  as  such  was  an  unusual 
sight  in  Pwllwen,  had  taken  good  notice  of  it. 
Now,  only  an  hour  or  two  before,  he  had  been 
working  over  on  the  far  edge  of  the  farm  and 
had  watched  four  men  go  lurching  past  as  though 
they  did  not  wish  to  be  seen.  Therefore,  since 
it  is  as  well  to  let  sleeping  dogs  lie,  and  further, 
since  he  had  seen  one  of  them  before,  he  had  kept 
hidden  till  they  were  well  gone,  afterwards  strid- 
ing home  in  order  to  get  a  comfortable  place  to 
think  the  matter  over.  Likely  enough  it  was  the 
being  already  roused  by  one  occurrence  which  led 
to  his  taking  such  interest  in  the  other,  namely, 
the  hauling  inshore  of  the  outland  boat ;  the  two 
finally  deciding  him  to  come  down  to  the  Black 
Lion  and  lay  the  matter  before  the  village  chiefs. 
In  following  out  this  laudable  decision  he  had 
once  more  come  across  the  four  men  just  as  they 
were  nearing  the  beach  upon  their  escape,  and  the 
only  other  thing  he  had  to  say  ab'out  the  matter 
was  that  the  leader  of  the  four  was  Mr.  Morgan. 

" '  Mister  '  Morgan,"  ejaculated  my  father,  catch- 
ing at  the  English  title  intruded  into  the  Welsh- 


42  THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALOAT. 

man's  tale.  "  And  who  the  devil  is  '  Mister ' 
Morgan  that  you  should  be  knowing  and  mister- 
ing him,  Penrhiw  ? " 

"  I  think  Evan  Black  Lion  can  tell  you  best 
about  that,  sir,"  replied  the  person  addressed. 

"And  you  know  this  Mister  Morgan  then, 
Evan  ? "  quoth  my  father,  impatiently,  to  the 
landlord.  "  Who  is  this  stranger  that  makes 
himself  at  home  here  when  I'm  away  and  gets 
hand  and  glove  with  my  own  people  ?  Some 
Government  spy,  I'll  warrant ;  come  to  ruin  me 
behind  my  back,  and  I  to  know  nothing  about  it 
till  the  warrant  is  signed  and  boot  and  spur  put 
to  it  to  lay  me  fast  for  trial.  A  fine  people  you 
are,"  my  father  snorted  indignantly. 

There  rose  a  chorus  of  dissent  at  this,  and 
Will's  henchman,  Morris  Las,  the  grimmest  old 
seadog  in  the  place,  stood  boldly  forth.  "Do 
you  think,  Dolgoch,  that  if  he  had  shown  the 
marks  of  a  spy  we  wouldn't  have  had  him  over 
Trwynhir  at  short  length  ?  or  trailed  him  out 
astern  of  the  lugger  till  he  would  sink  too  deep 
to  ever  make  any  report  in  London  ?  Do  you 
think  I  would  not  have  done  it  myself  alone  if 
need  be?" 

This  was  so  long  and  hot  a  speech  for  Morris 


THE  JEWEL  OF  YNYS  GALON.  43 

that  I  could  see  it  impressed  my  father  very  much, 
and  he  hastened  to  soothe  the  old  fellow. 

"  I  didn't  suppose  that  you  would  knowingly 
harbour  a  spy.  What  I  complain  of  is  that  a 
stranger  was  here  and  no  word  sent  to  me." 

'"But,  sir,  if  you  will  hear  me,  there  is  nothing 
wrong  in  what  we  know  of  this  man,"  interposed 
the  landlord.  "It  is  this  way,  sir  —  won't  you  sit 
down,  though,  and  taste  something  from  the  cellar 
while  I  explain.  Nanno  !  a  bottle  of  the  wine  you 
know,  quick !  That's  it,  sir,  that's  the  stuff  you 
always  liked,  sir  —  ah  yes !  and  about  this  man  : 
Well,  he  came  strolling  down  the  street  and  up 
to  the  door  as  cool  as  you  please  the  morning 
after  you  left,  and  when  I  sent  Nanno  to  take  his 
pleasure  he  smiled  and  begged  to  see  the  land- 
lord —  speaking  English  and  Nanno  not  under- 
standing, of  course.  Well,  sir,  I  know  a  little  of 
English  and  I  asked  what  he  would  be  pleased 
to  require,  and  he  said,  very  short  and  polite,  that 
he  would  like  to  take  rooms  at  the  Black  Lion 
for  a  week  or  so  if  I  had  such  at  disposal.  He 
had  no  luggage  with  him,  he  said,  making  a  very 
condescending  bow  of  the  matter,  because  he  had 
not  intended  to  stay  at  Pwllwen.  He  had  been 
coasting  along  in  a  lugger  and,  as  they  lay  be- 


44  THE  JEWEL  OF  YNYS  GALON. 

calmed  that  morning  in  a  cove  a  little  to  the  east- 
ward, he  had  just  stepped  ashore  for  a  short  stroll. 
Thereupon  the  rascally  skipper  had  taken  advan- 
tage of  a  breeze  that  shortly  ruffled  along  to  put 
out  to  sea  and  leave  him  —  '  For  the  sake  of  steal- 
ing my  baggage,'  as  the  stranded  gentleman  put 
it.  Luckily  his  purse  was  in  his  pocket  and  so 
he  had  walked  on  here  where,  if  I  could  accommo- 
date him,  he  would  stay  till  he  could  put  the  law 
in  motion,  for  the  punishment  of  the  scoundrelly 
master  of  the  lugger  and  the  recovery  of  his  effects. 
"  Now,  sir,  what  could  I  do  but  put  the  gentle- 
man up  in  the  best  room  and  make  him  as  com- 
fortable as  possible  ;  for  he  ate  and  drank  of  the 
best  of  everything,  keeping  mostly  to  himself  it's 
true,  which  I  reckoned  showed  his  breeding.  But 
sometimes  he  would  have  me  sit  down  and  tell 
him  the  tales  of  the  country-side,  and  when  I 
spoke  of  Ynys  Galon  and  the  old  Ap  Morgans  he 
became  very  interested  and  would  listen  with  his 
eyes  half  shut.  I  think  that  was  because  when 
I  first  told  some  of  their  wild  ways  and  customs 
his  eyes  flashed  out  so  that  I  stopped  and  stared, 
upon  which  he  started  and  smiled  and  apologised, 
saying  that  the  story  had  reminded  him  of  some- 
thing that  belonged  to  his  boyhood. 


THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON.  45 

"  Then  he  used  to  take  a  boat  and  have  Pierce 
Aros  or  Mat  Anthony  to  handle  it  and  carry  him 
across  to  the  island,  and  there  he  would  wander 
all  over  it,  questioning  the  men  and  noting  every- 
thing in  a  way  that  began  to  look  strange.  But 
he  used  always  to  laugh  when  they  told  about  the 
pirates'  treasure;  affecting  to  believe  never  a  word 
of  it. 

"  After  a  day  or  two  old  Morris  Las  got  uneasy 
and  told  Pierce  and  Mat  that  they  were  to  go  with 
Dick  Shon  in  the  lugger  when  she  put  out  that 
night  and  he  would  look  after  Mister  Morgan 
himself  in  the  morning. 

"  I  reckon  Mister  Morgan  got  suspicious  in  his 
turn  and  they  two  stood  off  and  on  to  one  another 
all  day,  yawing  and  going  about  to  get  the  weather 
of  each  other  and  both  letting  out  as  much  as  so 
many  oysters. 

"Next  day  too,  old  Morris  was  ready  to  go 
through  it  all  over  again,  but  Mister  Morgan  he 
says  no ;  he  thinks  he's  seen  as  much  of  the  island 
as  he  cares  to  and  he's  busy  this  morning.  So  old 
Las  he  goes  off  to  smoke  and  sehd  word  to  Will 
Barry  and  presently  the  stranger  says  he'll  take 
a  stroll  in  the  woods  and  after  a  few  minutes'  chat 
with  me  he  goes  off  by  himself  over  the  bridge. 


46  THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON. 

"  A  couple  of  hours  after  he  strides  down  here 
as  black  as  midnight  and  with  the  front  of  his  fine 
shirt  all  torn  away.  When  I  asked  him  if  any 
harm  had  befallen  him  he  smiled  as  amiably  as  the 
bars  in  a  jail  window  and  says  that  he  had  been 
attacked  by  footpads,  and  he  wants  a  horse  to  ride 
over  to  lay  the  case  before  the  magistrate  at 
Pengareg — yourself  not  being  at  home,  sir.  Then 
he  flung  down  gold  enough  to  settle  his  bill  twice 
over.  'That's  for  your  security  till  I  return,' 
said  he,  and  straight  called  for  his  sword  (a  rare 
blade  it  was)  and  buckled  it  on.  You  see  I  had 
told  him  when  he  first  came  how  no  one  was 
allowed  to  wear  arms  in  Pwllwen,  and  when  he 
asked  who  was  to  prevent  him  I  explained  that 
all  the  men  were  savage  about  it,  and  if  they 
couldn't  wear  them  themselves  would  take  care 
that  nobody  else  should. 

"Therefore  he  smiled  as  he  buckled  it  on  once 
more  and,  taking  off  a  bottle  of  wine  of  Bordeaux 
as  if  it  had  been  so  much  ale,  mounted  the  horse 
Tom  Ostler  led  round  and  pricked  away  for  Pen- 
gareg. 

"The  horse  came  back  that  night,  but  not  under 
Mister  Morgan ;  which  was  a  great  disappoint- 
ment, for  Will  Barry  had  been  in  the  best  room 


THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS   GALON.  47 

ever  since  noon  waiting  for  him  to  come  back  and 
very  mysterious  over  it  all ;  smiling  right  through 
me  when  I  tried  to  find  out  what  it  was  he  so 
wanted  to  see  the  stranger  for. 

"That  was  four  days  ago,  and  that's  all  we  know 
about  Mister  Morgan,  sir,  with  what  Penrhiw  has 
told  you,  though  I  should  let  you  know  besides 
that  we  think  the  same  lugger  put  him  and  his 
three  rascals  ashore  somewhere  well  to  the  East, 
and  then  after  lying  hove  to  for  a  couple  of  hours 
to  give  them  time,  put  along  this  way  again  to 
pick  them  up  when  their  job  was  over." 


•,- 


CHAPTER   IV. 

MY   FOSTER-BROTHER   EXPLAINS. 

"AND  the  doctor  says  Will  Barry  must  not  be 
worried  and  must  not  talk.  Myn  Diaoul !  but 
that  doctor  ought  to  be  put  in  the  stocks,"  quoth 
my  father,  with  a  comical  expression  on  his  face,  as 
Evan  Black  Lion  finished  his  story.  "  What  do 
you  think,  Ivor  ?  " 

"  I  think  that  we  shall  know  more  about  it  when 
Will  Barry  gets  better  and  I  don't  think  we  shall 
know  much  before.  It  appears  to  be  something 
between  him  and  this  stranger,  and  I  fancy  the 
stranger  is  a  buccaneer  who  in  some  way  got  wind 
of  the  story  about  the  treasure  on  Ynys  Galon  and 
that  Will  Barry  got  track  of  him  and  his  plans, 
wnatever  they  were  —  and  more  than  that  I  should 
not  like  to  say,"  ended  I,  oracularly. 

"  Well,  I  don't  think  he  was  a  political  spy  at 
any  rate,"  quoth  my  father,  thoughtfully,  "  I  rather 
incline — in  fact,"  he  broke  off,  "I  don't  know  just 
what  to  believe." 


THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON.  49 

"  Don't  you  think,  sir,"  interposed  old  Morris 
Las,  "  that  Mister  Morgan  was  just  some  infernal 
preventive  officer  trying  to  find  out  something 
about  our  bit  of  trading  ?  Where  the  hiding 
places  are  and  how  often  we  make  our  little  runs 
and  that  sort  of  thing,  sir? " 

Now  the  reader  is  here  to  understand  that  the 
people  of  Pwllwen,  honest  men,  got  a  hardy  living 
at  what  was  spoken  of  as  the  Free  Trade,  which 
meant  then,  as  now,  plain  smuggling,  but  so  keen 
and  daring  were  they  ;  so  full  of  wiles  and  shifts  ; 
and  withal  so  dangerous  and  desperate  when  sud- 
denly come  upon,  that  the  revenue  officers  had 
been  fain  to  leave  them  alone  as  far  as  possible 
and  to  look  the  other  way  whenever  there  was  no 
other  fashion  of  escaping  a  collision.  Therefore, 
old  Morris'  suggestion  was  plausible. 

I  could  see  my  father  was  inclined  to  appear  to 
give  it  consideration  and  so  I  forbore  to  comment 
upon  it  one  way  or  another. 

Presently,  seeming  to  dismiss  the  whole  matter 
with  a  shake  of  the  head,  my  father  rose.  Before 
leaving,  however,  he  ordered  another  barrel  of  ale 
to  be  broached  in  honour  of  my  return,  saying  that, 
as  Will  Barry  had  been  so  grievously  wounded  we 
could  not  have  the  proper  festivities,  which,  how- 


50  THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON. 

ever,  would  take  place  as  soon  as  Will  should  be 
convalescent.  One  loud  cheer  greeted  this  an- 
nouncement and  another  our  departure  as  we 
strode  sedately  over  the  cobble  stones,  I  copying 
to  my  best  ability  the  air  and  carriage  of  the  young 
gallants  I  had  so  often  seen  in  England  and  dan- 
dling the  gold-headed  Malacca  cane  —  which  had 
accompanied  my  father's  gift  of  a  sword  —  as 
nearly  as  possible  with  the  finikin  elegance  that 
distinguished  them. 

And  even  the  twinkle  in  the  corner  of  my 
father's  eye,  as  he  noticed  my  strut,  did  not 
materially  damp  my  self-importance,  for  I  knew 
that  it  minded  him  of  the  days  of  his  own  youth 
when  he  ruffled  it  along  Pall  Mall  with  the  swip- 
perest  young  blades  of  them  all. 

We  left  Walt.  Tygwn  to  keep  Huw  Trooper 
and  his  men  company,  for  it  would  have  been 
cruel  to  tear  them  from  the  pleasures  of  the 
Black  Lion  while  Dolgoch  must  be  so  quiet,  and 
as  soon  as  we  reached  the  Hall  again  my  father 
gave  permission  to  all  the  rest  of  the  men  about 
the  house,  saving  Payne  Butler,  to  go  down  and 
join  them,  with  word  to  Evan  Landlord  to  add 
another  barrel,  which,  in  his  opinion,  would  be 
just  sufficient  to  make  them  merry  but  not  more. 


THE  JEWEL  OF  YNYS  GALON.  51 

In  the  hall  we  found  the  parson  sitting  over  the 
fire,  having  a  crack  with  the  doctor,  whom  my 
father  had  desired  to  take  up  quarters  at  Dolgoch 
till  his  patient  should  be  well  again.  Now  the 
doctor,  though  he  ran  away  from  Cardiff  to  begin 
life  as  apprentice  to  a  worthy  barber-chirurgeon  in 
Bath,  —  as  the  practice  then  was  in  the  healing 
art,  —  had  yet  contrived,  by  the  exercise  of  a  most 
admirable  diligence,  to  come  at  a  sound  knowledge 
of  reading,  writing  and  ciphering.  This  knowl- 
edge he  continued  to  follow  up  in  two  directions, 
so  that,  by  the  time  he  had  arrived  at  the  middle 
age,  he  was  in  possession,  on  the  one  hand,  of  a 
fund  of  discursive  information  that  enabled  him 
to  hold  his  own,  even  in  the  withdrawing  rooms 
of  that  fashionable  town,  while  on  the  other,  he 
had  progressed  through  an  apothecary's  shop  to 
a  partnership  with  a  bustling  doctor  and  a  conse- 
quent skill  in  his  profession  which  was  the  wonder 
of  his  early  master.  Which  worthy  man  was  very 
proud,  however,  to  hear  that  Doctor  David  had 
still  a  strong  leaning  to  the  practice  of  phlebot- 
omy. To  what  heights  the  worthy  doctor  might 
have  attained  there  is  no  saying,  but  it  chanced 
that  he  was  called  in  to  attend  the  wife  of  a  re- 
tired ship-chandler,  which  good  man  fell  into  a 


52  THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON. 

jealousy  of  the  eyes  his  rogue  wife  did  make  at 
the  doctor,  so  much  that  he  flouted  back  to  Bristol 
with  all  his  establishment,  previously  arranging 
with  certain  three  bullies  to  waylay  the  doctor 
and  beat  him  soundly.  This  scurvy  trick  was 
played  to  a  nicety,  of  which  the  town  learning, 
the  shallow  pates  and  furbelows  did  so  embroider 
the  tale  as  to  set  the  street  a-giggle  whenever  the 
doctor  passed  along,  and  finally  did  clean  laugh 
him  out  of  the  place,  since  he  could  never  pin  a 
quarrel  upon  any  one  of  them,  though  he,  being 
a  Welshman,  did  not  slack  in  trying  for  the  space 
of  three  whole  days.  And  in  the  end  he  stood  up 
in  the  fashionable  street  and  swore  at  the  whole 
city,  thereafter  incontinently  mounting  his  dun 
nag  and  heading  him  for  the  blue  hills  again, 
vowing  as  he  went  that  women  were  an  inven- 
tion of  the  Father  of  Evil  for  the  undoing  of 
man.  Possibly  this  was  the  reason  he  settled  at 
Pwllwen ;  the  parson  of  it  being  likewise  a  bach- 
elor with  no  great  objections  to  the  good  doctor's 
standing  or  prejudices.  For  the  rest,  both  he  and 
the  parson  were  very  good  company,  and,  saving 
for  the  latter's  share  in  the  matter  of  my  educa- 
tion, stout  allies  and  staunch  friends  of  mine,  — 
like  everybody  else  in  my  native  place. 


THE  JEWEL  OF  YNYS  GALON.  53 

As  soon  as  we  entered  my  father  fell  upon  the 
subject  in  his  mind.  "Doctor,  Will  Barry  must 
talk.  There  is  a  mysterious  matter  afoot  that, 
belike,  he  knows  most  of.  At  any  rate  we  can 
only  guess  and  wonder,  for  all  the  world  like  strip- 
lings at  a  riddle,  until  you  let  him  talk  and  tell  us 
the  answer.  How  soon  will  that  be  ? " 

"  Before  long,  sir.  Two  days,  I  hope.  Perhaps 
less.  I've  just  come  down  from  tucking  him  up, 
and  he  shows  no  signs  of  fever —  " 

"  Fever !  Diaoul !  Doctor !  considering  the  rem- 
edy you  always  use  for  fever,  he  ought  never  to 
know  it  again  so  long  as  he  lives." 

This  allusion  to  his  fondness  for  the  phleboto- 
mic  practice  — •  meaning  thereby  a  readiness  to 
whip  out  the  lancet  and  let  blood  upon  every 
occasion  —  turned  the  laugh  against  the  doctor, 
which,  he  joining  in  it,  thawed  his  professional 
asperity  into  an  admittance  that  perhaps  to-mor- 
row night  would  do  for  a  set  interrogation  of  my 
foster-brother.1 

By  this  time  our  stomachs  did  remind  us  that  it 
was  time  to  dine,  proceeding  to  Which,  we  there- 

1  I  am  well  aware  that  the  use  of  the  term  "  foster-brother  " 
is  slightly  incorrect  here,  but  I  have  ventured  to  use  it  as  best  ex- 
pressing my  relation  to  Will  Barry  in  spite  of  the  difference  in  our 
ages. 


54  THE  JEWEL   OF   YNYS  GALON. 

after  spent  a  very  cheery  evening,  I  airing  my 
traveller's  knowledge  in  a  way  that  contributed 
much  to  the  general  geniality. 

Next  morning  the  doctor's  report  was  more  fa- 
vourable than  had  been  expected,  and  by  evening 
he  announced  that  the  interview  might  quite  pro- 
ceed ;  due  regard  for  the  wounded  man's  condition 
being  had  throughout. 

We  found  my  foster-brother  in  a  very  cheerful 
mood  — as  indeed  I  had  all  along  found  him  in 
the  half  score  surreptitious  visits  I  had  already 
paid  him  since  morning — and  able  to  enter  into 
my  father's  perplexity  fully.  Nevertheless,  his 
words  were  very  few  and  he  begged  us  to  believe 
that  Mister  Morgan  was  a  pirate  or  buccaneer 
only,  and  neither  Government  spy  nor  secretly 
daring  revenue  officer.  The  story,  however,  was 
somewhat  too  long  just  now  and  he  would,  with 
my  father's  permission,  defer  it  till  to-morrow, 
there  being  no  present  danger,  provided  that  the 
men  in  the  house  did  not  sleep  too  soundly. 

With  this  explanation,  which  told  us  very  little, 
yet  hinted  at  a  great  deal,  my  father  was  gra- 
ciously content,  having  a  regard  for  Will  which 
moved  him  no  little.  I,  however,  with  the  impa- 
tience of  youth,  was  mightily  eager  for  to-morrow, 


THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON.  55 

and  when  it  came  hailed  with  a  sigh  of  relief 
the  stroke  of  the  clock  which  announced  that 
the  second  interview  was  at  hand. 

This  time  the  patient  received  us  propped  up  by 
pillows  and  looking  quite  strong.  He  hardly  waited 
the  exchange  of  greetings  before  he  plunged  into 
his  story,  beginning,  however,  at  the  nearest  end. 

"It  fell  out  this  way,  sir.  I  was  going  down 
to  Pwllwen  by  the  short  path  through  the  woods, 
when,  nearing  the  Gorphwysfa,  I  thought  I  heard 
some  one  moving  ahead  of  me.  I  went  cautiously 
at  that,  for  I  remembered  something  which  befell 
in  that  place  four  days  before  when  I  had  a  pas- 
sage with  a  certain  stranger  there,  Mister  Morgan 
to  wit.  Sure  enough  as  I  came  to  a  thinning  in 
the  bushes  I  spied  the  stranger  standing  there 
and  holding  forth  in  English  to  three  of  the  most 
villainous  looking  rogues  that  ever  ripened  on  a 
gallows.  I  could  not  hear  what  was  said,  but 
presently  I  saw  them  separate  and  cast  about  as 
if  searching  for  something  in  the  heather.  I 
fancied  I  knew  what  they  were  looking  for  and 
I  laughed  to  myself,  for  a  reason  you  shall  pres- 
ently understand.  But  shortly  one  came  so  close 
to  where  I  stood  as  to  catch  a  sight  of  me,  where- 
upon I,  not  liking  to  run  from  such  gentry,  leaped 


56  THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON. 

upon  him  and  wrenched  his  cudgel  from  him  so 
smartly  that  he  fell  sprawling  yards  away. 

"  His  first  shout  naturally  roused  the  others,  and 
I,  perceiving  the  need  for  bestirring  myself  if  I 
meant  to  come  off  well  against  such  stout  rogues, 
fell  upon  the  nearest  and,  parrying  the  blow  of 
his  staff,  laid  him  out  with  a  broken  head.  The 
other  two  came  on  so  furiously  that  I  was  forced 
to  give  ground  somewhat  until  I  happened  to 
fetch  one  a  rap  across  the  knuckles  that  made 
him  drop  his  knife  and  stop  to  swear.  With 
that  I  began  to  fancy  myself  hugely,  when  of  a 
sudden  the  first  fellow  stole  up  unawares  and 
caught  my  cudgel  from  behind.  Instantly  the 
fourth,  Mister  Morgan  himself,  closed  in  with 
the  other  upon  me,  whereat  I,  dropping  the  cudgel, 
took  hold  of  them  both  in  the  only  way  open  to  me. 

"I  might  have  done  well  even  then,  but  the 
sore-knuckled  one  took  me  by  the  legs  and  we 
all  four  went  down  into  the  hazels  behind,  Mister 
Morgan's  knife  being  whipped  out  of  his  grip 
by  a  withe  that  caught  it.  That  sort  of  thing 
could  not  have  lasted  long,  and  just  as  I  had 
begun  to  think  I  was  in  for  something  rough,  up 
sprang  Ivor :  and  I  have  no  doubt  you  know  the 
rest." 


THE  JEWEL  OF  YNYS  GALON,  57 

"  Yes  !  but  that  explains  nothing,"  said  my 
father. 

"No,  sir,"  replied  Will,  "but  I  am  coming  to 
that  now. 

"You  remember  that  I  mentioned  a  passage 
having  before  occurred  at  Gorphwysfa  between  .the 
stranger  and  myself  ?  Well,  that  meeting  was  the 
seed  of  the  whole  matter.  That  time  I  was  coming 
home  from  Coed  Hen  and  in  the  open  ran  against 
Mister  Morgan.  Old  Marchog  was  with  me  and 
he  flew  at  the  stranger;  the  first  time  he  ever 
did  such  a  thing  in  his  life.  He  was  marking 
for  the  throat,  but,  as  the  man  stepped  back, 
seized  only  the  neck-cloth  and  shirt  collar,  which 
he  tore  away  as  clean  as  a  pikeshaft.  The  fellow 
swore  a  fearful  great  oath  and,  whipping  out  a 
little  pistol,  fired  at  the  hound,  but  missed.  I 
was  so  hot  at  that,  to  think  so  good  a  hound 
should  be  killed  for  so  small  a  mistake,  that  I 
made  no  more  ado,  but  laid  about  him  with  the 
quarterstaff  in  my  hand  and  so  handsomely  that 
first  set  him  a-skipping  lustily  and  next  a-lying 
stiff,  for  I  fetched  the  sixth  or'  seventh  rap  so 
soundly  across  his  sconce  as  laid  him  senseless. 

"  And  maybe,  sir,  you  think  the  stab  at  the 
second  meeting  was  in  exchange  for  the  knock 
at  the  first.  But  it  was  not,  as  you  shall  see. 


58  THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON. 

"When  I  left  him  lying  and  strode  away  home 
—  knowing  that  he  would  soon  come  to,  and  think- 
ing that  it  would  hardly  do  to  have  him  up  before 
a  magistrate  after  such  a  handling  (more  by  reason 
too  that  you  were  away  and  I  would  not  have  it 
said  that  we  were  obliged  to  go  to  Pengareg  to  get 
justice  on  a  rogue)  —  I  took  no  notice  of  the  old 
dog  beyond  telling  him  to  keep  to  heel.  But  when 
I  entered  the  hall  below,  he  came  round  in  front 
of  me,  and,  just  as  if  he  had  been  a  retriever  fetch- 
ing a  moorcock  or  a  wild  duck,  dropped  the  mouth- 
ful of  cloth  and  collar  he  still  carried,  and  I  heard 
something  solid  strike  the  stones  at  my  feet.  I 
stooped  at  once  and  picked  it  up,  and  here,  sir,  is 
what  I  found  in  my  hand."  So  saying,  Will  thrust 
his  arm  under  the  pillow  and  drew  forth  —  a  red 
stone  almost  as  large  as  a  walnut,  set  in  rough 
gold  and  shining  with  dazzling  brilliance. 

"And  what  is  that  ? "  queried  the  doctor,  adjust- 
ing his  horn  spectacles  upon  his  nose,  while  my 
father  stepped  back  with  a  cry  of  astonishment 
and  I  felt  my  mouth  and  throat  grow  dry  as  a 
furnace. 

"That,"  answered  Will,  quietly,  with  an  eager, 
questioning  look  at  my  father,  "  that  is  the  Jewel 
of  Ynys  Galon." 


CHAPTER  V. 

CONCERNING   THE   JEWEL   OF    YNYS    GALON. 

HERE  I  must  break  back  in  order  to  relate  the 
foundation  of  the  significance  of  the  Jewel. 

In  the  old  days  Dolgoch  held  a  much  more  ex- 
tensive domain  than  in  my  boyhood,  and  seven 
generations  before  me,  my  ancestor,  then  lord  of 
it,  had  two  sons.  The  younger  of  these,  called, 
on  account  of  his  swarthy  appearance,  Morgan 
Ddu,  was  a  wild  and  reckless  lad,  stark  in  all  his 
ways  no  matter  what  befell.  The  elder  son  was 
equally  strong  in  disposition  while  perhaps  more 
subtle  of  temper,  and  yet  they  loved  each  other 
more  dearly  than  was  the  wont  of  brothers  in 
those  days.  Therefore  when,  in  a  sudden  affray, 
Morgan  slew  the  King's  Sheriff  and  was  out- 
lawed for  it,  the  elder  brother  sheltered  him  and 
they  two  made  a'  plan  and  swore  a  compact  be- 
tween them.  Morgan  was  to  take  and  settle  upon 
the  island  of  Ynys  Belre,  becoming  sea  rover, 
while  the  elder  was  to  countenance  him  as  far  as 

59 


60  THE  JEWEL  OF  YNYS  GALON. 

he  dared ;  to  stand  between  him  and  the  law  as 
far  as  his  power  would  go,  and,  openly  or  secretly, 
as  might  be  best,  always  and  ever  to  succour  him 
to  the  last  acre  and  the  last  gasp  if  need  be. 

In  those  days  the  land  swarmed  with  Redhands, 
as  the  men  outlawed  for  blood  were  always  called 
in  Wales,  and  so,  ere  he  went,  Morgan  Ddu  gath- 
ered all  the  Redhands  from  Mynyddhir  to  Rhyd-y- 
Voel  and  with  them  rode  against  the  dead  Sheriff's 
castle,  burning  it  in  the  grey  of  the  morning  and 
thereafter  retiring  swiftly  to  Llongborth,  whence 
he  took  ship  and  sailed  for  his  island,  which  he 
renamed  Ynys  Galon  from  its  shape. 

It  lies  some  eight  miles  southwestward  of 
Pwllwen  and  four  out  from  the  mainland,  whose 
cliffs  are  inaccessible  for  leagues  on  either  hand 
of  Dolgoch,  saving  only  at  Pwllwen.  There  accord- 
ingly he  lived  as  a  sea  rover  all  his  days,  harrying 
foreign  coasts  and  shipping  and  bringing  home 
treasure  and  vast  spoil,  with  women  of  the  fairest 
to  be  wives  to  himself  and  his  men  ;  three  or  four 
to  each ;  so  that  the  island  grew  full  of  a  lusty 
race  and  no  enemy  durst  meddle  with  it  or  seek 
its  one  and  only  landing  place. 

And  there  at  last  he  died,  old  and  grey-headed, 
but  fierce  to  the  last ;  for  he  got  his  death  in  a  fray 


THE  REIVING  OF  THE  JEWEL 


THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON.  6 1 

with  the  grandson  of  the  former  Sheriff,  whose 
family  he  had  never  ceased  to  harry  from  the  day 
of  his  outlawry.  But  before  that,  in  one  of  his 
foreign  burnings  and  sackings  he  had  captured 
two  things,  one  a  girl  of  rare  beauty  and  hard- 
ness of  heart  and  the  other  a  jewel  set  in  gold, 
the  finest  he  had  ever  seen. 

And  that  was  the  Jewel  of  Ynys  Galon. 

The  girl  was  a  slave  in  the  palace  of  the  Sultan 
of  Angiers,  and  the  jewel  was  the  front  piece  of 
that  Sultan's  turban;  so  boldly  did  Morgan  Ddu 
push  his  fortunes  and  so  fortunate  was  he. 

Now  when  he  lay  a-dying  he  called  all  his  peo- 
ple round  him  and  bade  his  sons  step  forth,  one  and 
twenty  of  them,  rank  rievers  all,  come  of  his  loins 
by  his  many  wives.  Then  from  his  neck  he  took 
the  Jewel  and,  holding  it  in  his  hand,  gave  them 
his  dying  charge,  well  knowing  it  would  be  a  law 
of  steel  to  bind  them. 

"When  I  am  dead,"  said  he,  "take  this  Jewel 
and  lay  it  upon  Belre's  hearth  in  Nuada's  house  " 
(that  is  to  say,  upon  the  hugh  cromlech  in  the  ring 
of  unhewn  stones  standing  on  the  Southwest  point 
of  the  island).  "Send  instant  word  to  Dolgoch, 
and  the  lord  of  that  house  will  answer  by  coming 
back  at  once  with  the  messenger,  for  so  my  brother 


62  THE  JEWEL  OF  YNYS  GALON. 

and  I  agreed  long  ago  and  this  present  lord  will 
keep  the  oath.  After  he  is  come,  upon  the  next 
sunset,  all  the  men  of  the  island  shall  gather  round 
about  Nuada's  house,  but  only  you  who  are  my 
sons  shall  enter.  Then  Dolgoch  shall  stand  by 
the  hearth  of  Belre,  with  his  back  to  the  sunset, 
and  taking  the  Jewel  in  his  hand  shall  proclaim 
that  the  lord  of  Ynys  Galon  is  dead  and  shall  ask 
which  of  you  would  be  lord  of  the  island  in  his 
room.  Thereupon  that  one  of  you  who  does  con- 
ceive himself  ablest  to  follow  in  my  steps,  shall 
claim  the  lordship,  and  Dolgoch  in  answer  shall 
cry  the  name  of  the  one  claiming  and  bid  all 
men  assemble  there  at  sunrise  next  morning  to 
fulfil  the  conditions. 

"All  that  night  you  shall  entertain  Dolgoch, 
for  he  is  your  protector  according  to  the  compact 
made  first  between  his  father's  father  and  myself, 
and  you  shall  give  him  a  gift  and  speak  him  fair 
and  softly  that  he  may  never  be  tempted  to  fail 
you  at  need.  Then  with  the  dawn  you  shall  all 
assemble  round  Nuada's  house  again,  and  as  before 
only  ye  of  my  own  blood  shall  enter.  Thereafter 
Dolgoch,  lifting  the  Jewel  from  the  stone  where  it 
has  lain,  shall  ask  if  the  same  one  still  claims  the 
lordship  and  for  answer  the  claimer,  stripped  naked 


THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALOtf.  63 

(that  all  may  see  him  to  be  without  personal  blem- 
ish, since  no  malformed  man  may  hold  rule  over 
his  brothers)  and  with  a  naked  sword  in  his  hand, 
shall  mount  the  hearth  of  Belre,  and  thence  chal- 
lenge all  the  rest  of  my  blood  to  yield  his  right. 

"  If  any  one  take  up  the  challenge,  then  he,  naked 
likewise  and  with  a  naked  sword,  shall  mount 
beside  the  challenger  and  they  two  shall  fight  it 
out  till  one  yield  or  is  slain.  The  victor  then  shall 
challenge  again  and  so  till  one  shall  stand  there 
whom  none  dare  dispute.  That  one  then,  facing  the 
sun,  shall  place  his  right  foot  in  the  cup  hole  on 
the  stone  and  Dolgoch  shall  hang  the  Jewel  about 
his  neck  and  proclaim  him  Lord  of  Ynys  Galon  and 
Chief  of  the  sons  of  Morgan.  And  all  the  men 
without  the  circle  shall  take  him  for  Captain. 

"  But  if  it  befall  in  the  course  of  time  that  there 
shall  be  no  man  descended  in  the  male  line  from 
me,  then  the  right  shall  go  to  such  as  count  by  the 
distaff  and  the  descendants  by  the  female  line  shall 
act  even  as  you  act  now." 

At  the  end  of  this  speech  Morgan  Ddu  fell  back 
dead,  and  from  that  day,  so  long  as '  the  Ap  Mor- 
gans held  Ynys  Galon,  his  words  were  the  law 
of  the  succession,  and  the  Jewel  was  its  token. 

All  this,  as  I  say,  befell  generations  before  I 


64  THE  JEWEL  OF  YNYS  GALON'. 

was  born  and,  I  had  ofttimes  feared,  was  passed 
away  with  the  last  of  the  pirates,  but  now  I  was 
shortly  to  find  that  its  effects  were  still  terrible 
and  potent  for  harm. 

Yet  this  was  not  all  the  present  significance 
of  that  fatal  Jewel  flashing  in  Will  Barry's  out- 
stretched hand  when  he  answered  the  doctor's 
query.  To  understand  all  that  its  appearance  in 
his  grasp  implied,  it  is  necessary  to  recount  the 
story  which  I  had  so  often  heard  from  the  lips 
of  his  mother,  whom  I  also  regarded  as  my  foster- 
mother.  I  give  it  here. 

She  was  born  on  the  island  and  was  daughter 
to  Rhys  Harries,  the  last  lord  of  it.  He  had  three 
sons  and  one  daughter  beside  her,  and  therefore 
he  made  no  objection  when  the  then  parson  of 
Pwllwen  wished  to  take  her  to  foster,,  having  no 
children  of  his  own.  You  are  to  understand  that, 
there  being  no  church  on  the  island,  the  custom 
was  to  bring  the  babies  to  be  baptised  at  Pwllwen 
and  there,  if  it  were  a  girl,  sometimes  one  of  the 
tenants  would  take  it  to  foster :  the  Ap  Morgans 
not,  however,  allowing  such  a  thing  in  the  case 
of  a  boy.  But  in  the  past  the  wild  blood  had  so 
prevailed  in  the  fostered  children  that  they  had 
ever,  after  marriage,  persuaded  their  husbands  to 


THE  JEWEL  OF  YNYS  GALON.  65 

build  and  settle  in  a  cottage  by  the  Pwllwen,  and  so 
the  village  of  that  name  had  grown  up  where  before 
was  nothing  but  the  pool  and  the  shingle  of  the 
beach.  And  very  soon  the  villagers  claimed  that  no 
tenant  should  foster  any  island  child  but  only  them- 
selves, and  so  Pwllwen  men  came  to  be  more  than 
three  parts  Morgan  in  blood  and  wholly  so  in  feeling. 
And  thus  it  was  that  old  Rhys  had  not  objected 
when  the  parson  wished  to  keep  his  daughter. 

When  she  came  to  womanhood  she  married 
a  cousin  of  my  father's,  a  Merchant  Adventurer, 
trading  to  the  lands  that  lie  beyond  the  Line : 
Cathay  and  the  countries  of  the  Great  Mogul. 
Being  of  a  bold  nature  he  commanded  his  own 
ship,  leaving  his  wife  at  Pwllwen  in  his  absence. 
By  this  time,  however,  battle  and  wreck  had  sorely 
thinned  the  Ap  Morgans  and  Ynys  Galon  was 
peopled  more  by  women  and  children  than  men. 
The  chief  disaster  had  come  two  years  before, 
when  their  great  ship— -  which  in  grim  jest  they 
had  named  "  Cigfach  Nuada "  or  as  though  they 
said  "  Nuada's  Fleshhook  "  —  carrying  a  hundred 
and  fifty  men,  the  flower  of  them  all,  laid  aboard 
the  huge  treasure  galleon  from  Lima  and,  captur- 
ing it  after  a  bloody  hurly,  found  themselves  sur- 
rounded by  three  great  Spanish  war-ships  which 


66  THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS   GALON. 

had  been  sent  to  escort  the  treasure.  But  the 
Ap  Morgans  were  drunk  with  blood  and  gold,  and 
so  instead  of  sheering  off  and  making  a  running 
fight  wherein  seamanship  might  have  aided  the 
fewness  of  their  numbers,  they  stuck  to  the  cap- 
tured galleon,  putting  Evan,  youngest  son  to 
Rhys,  aboard  her  with  a  boat's  crew  to  make  sail 
and  escape  while  "Nuada's  Fleshhook"  stayed  to 
hammer  the  Dons. 

Then  there  befell  a  fight  that  makes  my  blood 
tingle  whenever  I  think  of  it.  But  it  would  take 
too  long  to  describe  it  here ;  suffice  it  therefore 
that,  having  forced  one  of  the  great  war-ships  to 
strike  its  flag  —  as  it  lay,  a  sheer  hulk  upon  the 
waters,  its  hamper  shot  away  and  its  scuppers 
running  blood  —  the  sea-wolves  laid  aboard  the 
second  and,  being  closed  in  upon  by  the  third, 
they  fought  till  there  remained  not  a  dozen  of 
them.  Then,  defiant  to  the  last,  they  blew  up 
their  own  ship  ;  thereby  destroying  the  other  two, 
so  that  all  sank  together  and  Evan,  upon  the 
treasure  galleon,  was  left  to  bear  home  to  his 
father  the  dearest  boughten  wealth  that  ever  the 
sons  of  Morgan  won. 

But  Ynys  Galon  at  first  appeared  fated  never 
even  to  see  the  price  of  its  stark  children.  For 


THE  JEWEL   OF   YNYS  GALON.  67 

on  a  wild  storm-driven  morning  a  spar  drifted 
close  to  the  Landing  with  one  half-drowned  wretch 
clinging  to  it,  who  yet  had  strength  remaining  to 
raise  the  gathering  cry  of  the  Ap  Morgans.  Him 
they  rescued  therefore,  and  from  him  learnt  that 
he  was  the  sole  survivor  of  all  the  men  who  sailed 
in  "  Nuacla's  Fleshhook."  It  would  seem  that  the 
treasure  galleon  with  Evan  at  the  helm,  weathered 
safely  all  the  dangers  of  the  far  ocean  to  be  cast 
at  last  into  that  roaring,  foaming  death  trap  known 
as  the  "Jaws"  at  the  southwest  point  of  the 
island.  It  went  down  with  every  soul  save  this 
one,  who  owed  his  escape  to  having  fallen  over- 
board a  little  while  before,  with  the  spar  he  was 
cutting  away,  the  storm  having  wrecked  masts 
and  rigging  both  and  swept  the  decks. 

That  blow  seemed  to  stupefy  the  remnant  of 
the  islanders. 

Only  about  half  a  hundred  men  were  left  now, 
if  indeed  they  could  be  reckoned  such,  who  were 
lor  the  more  part  grey  beards  and  boys.  But  — 
and  this  was  only  learned  afterwards,  and  dimly 
so,  until  I  did  establish  the  truth  of 'it  beyond  dis- 
pute, men  laughed  at  it  in  public  and  only  believed 
it  in  secret  —  a  strange  thing  indeed  was  found 
to  have  happened.  The  storm  that  wrecked  the 


68  THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON. 

galleon  had  indeed  drowned  her  crew,  but  the  hulk 
itself  it  had  flung  bodily  in  at  the  mouth  of  a  cave, 
close  to  where  the  rescued  man  had  seen  it  last. 

When  this  was  known  to  the  islanders  old  Rhys 
assembled  them,  all  who  were  of  an  age  to  under- 
stand, and  made  them  swear  on  the  Jewel  in 
Nuada's  house  that  the  knowledge  of  this  last 
good  fortune  should  be  added  to  the  other  secrets 
of  the  island,  and  that  until  he  gave  the  order  no 
person  should  leave  Ynys  Galon,  even  to  visit 
Pwllwen.  No  stranger  ever  had  been  allowed 
to  land  on  their  shores  excepting  Dolgoch,  and 
therefore  this  new  order  completed  their  isolation. 
The  reason  for  such  secrecy  was  that  they  were 
too  few  remaining  to  defend  themselves  from  the 
expeditions  which  would  inevitably  be  fitted  out 
for  the  seizing  of  the  treasure,  did  word  of  its 
existence  ever  reach  the  outside  world. 

The  gold  and  the  silver  were  then  stored  in  the 
cave,  into  the  mouth  of  which  the  hull  of  the  gal- 
leon had  been  cast,  only  the  old  men  taking  part 
in  the  work  and  none  of  the  rest  allowed  to  come 
within  sight.  After  which  old  Rhys  seemed  to 
sit  down  and  wait  till  the  boys  should  grow  up 
and  the  islanders  once  more  be  strong  enough 
to  enjoy  the  hidden  hoard. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

OF   THE   LOSS    OF   THE  JEWEL    AND    WHAT   BEFELL 
THEREAFTER. 

IT  was  upon  a  day  in  the  following  winter  that 
the  starkest  stroke  of  evil  fate  which  ever  fell 
upon  any  race  was  first  portended  to  the  doomed 
islanders ;  though  in  itself  the  thing  might  have 
seemed  to  be  merely  a  matter  to  be  settled  off- 
hand by  a  stroke  of  the  sword. 

Once  again  a  ship  was  wrecked  upon  the  island 
cliffs,  and  once  again,  also,  a  single  survivor  was 
carried  on  a  piece  of  wreckage  close  to  the  Har- 
bour Neck.  Now,  excepting  in  the  case  of  one 
of  themselves,  the  Ap  Morgans  never  allowed 
survivors  from  any  wreck  to  land,  holding  the 
belief,  general  then  upon  all  the  coasts  of  Britain, 
that  to  do  so  would  bring  untold  disaster  upon 
the  community.  But  old  Rhys  appeared  to  have 
taken  a  notion  into  his  head,  connected,  it  may  be, 
with  that  weary  morning,  nine  days  after  the  gal- 
leon's wrecking,  when,  gently  upon  the  breast 

69 


7O  THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON. 

of  the  incoming  tide,  up  through  the  tortuous 
neck  and  along  the  placid  harbour,  lip-lapping 
home  to  his  father's  very  threshold,  floated  the 
drowned  body  of  Evan,  youngest  and  best  loved 
of  his  sons.  He  took  a  notion,  as  I  say,  to  save 
this  one  man  and,  when  the  rest  flatly  refused 
to  help,  pulled  out  alone  and  brought  the  drifting 
castaway  to  the  harbour  stairs. 

I  have  previously  mentioned  the  slave  girl 
whom  Morgan  Ddu  carried  off  from  the  Sultan's 
seraglio  when  he  captured  the  Jewel.  He  had 
afterwards  been  wont  to  say  in  grim  heat  that 
she  was  a  witch,  born  of  the  powers  of  Darkness, 
and  that  she  would  live  to  see  the  end  of  his  name 
and  race  and  the  desolation  of  the  island.  These 
words  were  remembered  with  awe  as  generations 
came  and  went  and  still  she  lived  on.  She  became 
reputed  for  a  witch,  and  the  wild  crew,  who  feared 
no  living  thing  else,  held  her  in  awe  and  dread, 
for  she  still  lived  on,  though  she  had  been  old 
when  men  now  grey  were  born.  As  each  chief 
was  elected  or  accepted  he  moved  from  whatever 
house  he  lived  in  to  Ty  Mawr,  the  "  Great  House  " 
of  Morgan  Ddu,  but  ever  as  he  stepped  over  the 
threshold  he  saw  in  the  chimney-nook  the  crouch- 
ing figure  of  the  old  witch,  even  as  the  chief 


THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON.  71 

before  him  had  seen  it  and  as  he  knew  the  chief 
to  follow  him  would  likewise  see  it.  And  from 
holding  her  as  a  witch,  they  had  come  to  force 
upon  her  duties  in  keeping.  Each  time  their 
ships  sailed  away  for  plunder  she  repeated  spells 
and  incantations  to  insure  them  luck,  and  every 
Hallowe'en  she  prophesied  who  should  die  before 
the  next. 

When  "  Nuada's  Fleshhook"  had  been  so  named 
for  its  last  and  fatal  voyage,  she  had  taken  despite 
to  Griffith,  eldest  son  of  Rhys,  who  commanded 
and  had  christened  it,  and  so  she  had  banned  in- 
stead of  blessing  the  voyage,  as  the  islanders 
remembered  afterwards.  Therefore  her  power  was 
greater  than  ever  now. 

So  when  Rhys  Harries  lifted  the  stranger  to 
assist  him  up  the  steps,  she  stood  at  the  stair  head 
and  cursed  him,  bidding  him  cast  back  its  prey  to 
the  sea  and  not  meddle  with  its  will,  lest  he  should 
bring  harm  upon  Ynys  Galon  and  its  people. 

But  Rhys  was  sore  yet  for  his  three  sons  whom 
he  deemed  she  had  destroyed  by  banning  them, 
and  he  whipped  out  a  pistol,  swearing  that  he 
would  send  its  silver  bullet  through  her  if  she  did 
not  stand  aside.  All  the  folk  were  aghast  at  this 
and  stood  back  in  awe  as  he  helped  the  stranger 


72  THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON. 

up,  following  the  old  witch  into  the  house.  There 
he  commanded  Megan  his  daughter,  sister  to  Will 
Barry's  mother,  to  nurse  the  stranger :  as  he  re- 
membered afterwards  when  the  sorrow  came. 

As  the  days  went  on  a  love  sprang  up  betwixt 
the  stranger  and  Megan,  but  old  Rhys  seemed  to 
care  nothing  for  that  since  the  man  had  boldly 
confessed  to  being  the  famous  Pirate  Ulloth,  from 
the  Spanish  Main.  Moreover,  because  the  island- 
ers were  so  dead  set  against  the  one  he  had  res- 
cued, he  grew  more  stubborn  and  strong  in  his 
friendship  for  him  and  more  deaf  to  all  remon- 
strance. 

Then  men  began  to  accuse  him  of  having  be- 
trayed the  secret  of  the  treasure  to  the  stranger, 
but  Rhys  denied  this  on  the  Jewel.  Nevertheless 
it  appeared  certain  that  the  stranger  knew  of  it : 
perhaps  Megan  told  him  :  and  at  last  the  islanders 
decided  that  next  day  he  should  be  slain.  But 
Megan  heard  of  it,  and  in  the  night  she  stole  the 
Jewel  from  her  father's  neck  as  he  slept,  and  with 
her  lover  took  boat  and  fled  from  the  island. 

Next  day  there  was  a  great  uproar  when  all  was 
discovered,  and  the  men  gathered  angrily  and  talked 
of  visiting  it  upon  Rhys.  But  he  faced  them  in 
his  bitter  shame  and  defied  them,  sticking  a  pistol 


MEGAN  STEALS  THE  JEWEL  FROM  THE  KING'S  NECK  .  .  —p.  72 


THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON.  73 

to  the  witch's  head  and  swearing  he  would  shoot 
her  if  she  did  not  keep  all  harm  from  him.  The 
desperate  threat  saved  him  ;  for  she  bade  them  fall 
back,  telling  them  that  they  might  not  kill  Rhys 
since  they  could  have  no  other  chief  to  rule  over 
them  till  the  Jewel  should  come  back.  Then  from 
sullen  she  grew  to  a  glow,  making  them  swear 
faith  to  Rhys  again,  forcing  them  to  repeat  the 
oath  after  her,  word  for  word. 

Thereafter  followed  a  wondrous  thing,  for  she 
bade  them  carry  her  to  the  cliffs  above  the  Jaws, 
and  there,  standing  on  the  very  edge,  with  her 
back  to  the  sea  thundering  in  never  ending  rage 
below,  she  faced  them. 

"  Ynys  Galon !  "  she  cried,  "  home  of  the  sons 
of  Dark  Morgan,  fierce  men  and  bloody  all !  now 
shalt  thou  be  desolate,  and  only  the  cormorant 
shall  bring  the  spoils  of  ocean  to  divide  on  thee. 
The  Jewel  of  thy  kings  is  gone  and  disaster  shall 
come  upon  thee  :  ruin,  with  the  loneliness  of  the 
desert,  shall  be  thine  till  that  Jewel  return.  The 
sea-wolves  shall  have  thee  for  a  den  no  more  till 
they  come  to  thee  by  the  distaff,  bringing  again 
the  token  of  thy  chiefs.  But  for  these  now  whom 
Nuada  has  cast  off  :  Woe  !  woe  to  them  !  " 

Then,  while  all  the  men   quaked  for  fear,   she 


74  THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON. 

turned  and  with  one  loud,  blood-freezing  shriek, 
leaped  into  the  roaring  seas  below,  that  flung  up  a 
cloud  of  spume  to  meet  her. 

So  ended  the  witch  of  Ynys  Galon. 

It  fell  about  this  time  that,  as  I  have  said  before, 
Will's  mother,  daughter  to  old  Rhys  and  foster- 
daughter  to  the  then  parson  of  Dolgoch,  married 
Harry  Lwyd,  second  cousin  to  my  father  ;  staying 
behind  at  the  parsonage  when  her  husband  sailed 
away  on  what  proved  to  be  his  last  voyage.  For 
two  years  later  his  home-coming  vessel  was 
wrecked  upon  the  Scilly  Islands,  and  he  perished 
without  ever  seeing  the  little  son  born  to  him  in 
his  absence.  The  child  had  been  christened  Will, 
and  from  Will  ab  Harry  had  become  in  course  of 
time  Will  Barry,  my  foster-brother.  The  widow 
had  lived  on  at  the  parsonage  tending  her  bed- 
ridden foster-father,  till  he  died  in  extreme  old  age  ; 
and,  my  father  being  left  a  widower  about  that 
time,  she  had  taken  up  her  position  as  general 
overseer  and  superintendent  of  all  things  domestic 
at  Dolgoch. 

But  before  that,  about  the  time  of  her  hus- 
band's death,  there  fell  upon  her  father  and  the 
islanders  that  dreadful  stroke  of  the  portending 
of  which  I  spoke  at  the  beginning  of  this  chapter. 


THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON".  ?$ 

A  thick  smoke  first  apprised  the  men  of 
Pwllwen  that  harm  had  come  upon  the  sea- 
wolves'  den  with  the  dawn  of  a  new  day.  At 
once  they  put  to  sea  and  sailed  away  for  the 
island,  where,  just  off  the  entrance  to  the  neck 
they  came  upon  a  strange  ship  flying  the  black 
flag.  Instantly  she  showed  fight,  and  they,  swarm- 
ing aboard,  slew  every  man  of  her  crew,  saving 
only  the  last,  whom  they  kept  for  future  ques- 
tioning. 

Inside  the  harbour  they  found  an  awful  sight ; 
every  house  of  the  Rover's  town  of  Treforgan 
was  burning,  and  on  their  thresholds  and  in  the 
ways  between  nothing  but  corpses,  heaps  and 
mounds  of  dead  folk ;  for  of  all  the  Ap  Morgans 
not  one  remained  alive.  Mingled  with  these 
were  the  stark  forms  of  more  than  a  hundred 
and  fifty  of  the  strange  ship's  men,  showing  that 
the  sea-wolves  had  died  as  fiercely  as  they  lived. 

Then  they  turned  to  their  prisoner,  and  with 
a  twisted  cord  about  his  temples  they  forced  him 
to  confess.  He  told  them  all  :  how  Ulloth  had 
suddenly  reappeared  in  the  West  Indies  with  a 
wonderful  tale  of  a  Welsh  island  stacked  full  of 
treasure,  and,  loading  down  a  great  ship  with  a 
treble  crew,  had  sailed  to  take  it. 


76  THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON. 

They  landed  at  the  grey  of  morning,  when  all 
the  village  was  asleep,  and,  first  slinging  ashore 
four  carronades  loaded  with  grape  shot,  they  sur- 
rounded the  houses  and  set  fire  to  the  thatches 
to  burn  the  inmates  out.  Then  of  a  sudden,  like 
devils  possessed  with  fiercer  devils,  out  swarmed 
the  Ap  Morgans,  old  men  and  boys,  women  and 
very  children,  armed  anyhow  and  falling  on  so 
furiously  as  almost  to  overwhelm  the  attackers. 
Volleys  of  grape  at  twenty  yards'  range  had  first 
restored  the  balance  and  then  numbers  soon  told 
their  tale ;  for,  in  spite  of  the  fall  of  Ulloth,  whom 
old  Rhys  hewed  asunder,  the  pirates  in  the  end 
prevailed,  but  at  such  a  tremendous  cost  of  life 
to  themselves  that  in  revenge  they  massacred 
every  human  thing  that  drew  the  breath  of  life 
on  Ynys  Galon,  even  to  the  helpless  babies. 

Only  a  third  of  the  butchers  came  out  of  that 
horrid  slaughter  alive,  and  they,  quitting  the  sham 
bles  to  defend  their  ship  from  the  nearing  boats, 
had  fallen  in  turn  beneath  the  so  swift  avengers. 

This  was  the  prisoner's  story,  and  as  soon  as  it 
was  over,  Morris  Las,  then  a  young  man,  had 
stepped  forward  and  dashed  out  the  wretch's 
brains  with  his  half-pike,  thus  completing  all 
possible  vengeance  upon  the  murderers  of  his  kin. 


THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON.  77 

But  in  laying  out  the  heaps  of  slain  for  burial 
they  found  one  person  still  breathing.  He  was 
a  man  so  old  as  to  be  almost  childish  and  was 
hurt  to  death,  but  he  yet  lived  long  enough  to 
tell  the  tale  of  Ulloth,  of  Megan's  flight  with 
the  Jewel,  and  of  the  last  words  and  prophecy 
of  the  old  witch  the  moment  before  she  threw 
herself  over  the  cliff  to  death. 

The  Pwllwen  men  questioned  him  very  eagerly 
about  the  treasure,  but  he  pretended  to  know 
nothing  about  it,  and,  as  they  could  not  twist 
the  cord  on  him,  they  were  forced  to  stand  by 
and  see  him  die,  taking  the  secret  of  the  galleon's 
wealth  with  him. 

Many  and  many  a  time  had  Ynys  Galon  been 
searched  since  then,  but  no  trace  of  the  hidden 
gold  had  ever  been  found,  till  now  the  tenants 
had  come  openly  to  scoff  at  the  story  among 
themselves  and  only  the  men  of  Pwllwen  still 
believed  it.  The  witch's  words  were  held  as 
gospel  prophecy  by  these  last,  who,  since  the 
massacre,  had  boldly  called  themselves  Ap  Morgan 
and  watched  and  waited  eagerly  for  the  return  of 
the  missing  Jewel,  without  which  they  might  not 
attempt  to  take  possession  of  the  island  or  hope 
to  discover  the  treasure.  And  meanwhile  they 


78  THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON. 

kept  themselves  ready  to  sail  upon  the  instant, 
whenever  the  first  gleam  of  that  bloody  old  token 
should  light  their  eyes  again.  Three  years  before 
the  appearance  of  "  Mister "  Morgan,  Will  Barry 
in  his  impatience  had  fitted  out  a  ship  to  range 
the  Spanish  Main  in  quest  of  the  missing  symbol, 
but  nothing  had  come  of  it  saving  the  confirming 
of  Will  Barry's  position  as  leader  of  his  kindred. 

This  story  had  always  appealed  to  me  to  the 
full  as  strongly  as  to  any  Ap  Morgan  of  them  all, 
and  now,  standing  beside  my  foster-brother's  bed 
and  gazing  at  the  fateful  gem  in  his  hand,  the 
whole  long  string  of  blood  and  battle  connected 
with  it  rushed  vividly  upon  me,  parching  my 
throat  and  lips  with  excitement.  I  looked  from 
my  father  to  Will  as  they  gazed  into  each  other's 
eyes  for  a  full  minute,  burning  with  impatience 
the  while,  till  at  last,  to  my  staggering  disappoint- 
ment my  father  said,  in  a  voice  which  showed  how 
much  moved  he  was,  "  Say  nothing  for  to-day. 
To-morrow  we  will  talk  it  over.  Doctor !  forget 
all  about  this  Jewel.  Do  not  breathe  a  word  of 
it  till  I  give  you  permission.  Remember!  —  that 
ruby  shines  brightest  when  it  sees  the  blood  run- 
ning freest ! " 


CHAPTER  VII. 

"A   VOYAGE   OF   DISCOVERY." 

NEXT  morning,  immediately  after  breakfast,  my 
father  bade  me  accompany  him  to  Will's  bedroom. 
We  found  the  patient  waiting  anxiously,  propped 
as  before,  but  the  Jewel  was  nowhere  in  sight. 

"  Well,  and  how  do  you  feel  this  morning  ?  Bet- 
ter, eh?" 

"So  well  that  I  should  very  much  like  to  get 
up,"  answered  Will. 

"  Ha !  I  see.  Want  to  go  over  and  claim  Ynys 
Galon,  eh  ? " 

"  Yes,  sir.  I  shall  claim  it  now  as  soon  as  I  am 
well.  I  intend  taking  old  Morris  Las  and  the 
rest.  We  will  all  settle  there  together  and  begin 
over  again." 

"As  pirates?" 

"  I  hope  not,"  answered  Will,  dubiously. 

"  Well,  at  any  rate  you  will  have  to  wait  till  you 
are  thoroughly  recovered,  for,  remember,  there  is 
the  man  from  whom  you  got  the  Jewel  to  be  reck- 

79 


80  THE  JEWEL  OF  YNYS  GALON. 

oned  with,  and  he  seems  to  be  a  determined  fellow 
at  all  events.  What  is  he  like  ?  Describe  him  ! " 
pursued  my  father. 

"  He  is  taller  by  an  inch  than  I  am,  and  he  is 
handsome  and  shapely  enough  to  fool  a  woman  or 
please  a  man.  Strong,  too,  and  used  to  depending 
on  his  sword.  I  know  that  because  he  seemed  so 
utterly  at  a  loss  without  it,  which  is  about  the  only 
reason  why  I  got  the  better  of  him.  He  is  also  a 
seafaring  man,"  answered  Will. 

"  It  can't  be  Ulloth,  for  your  grandfather  killed 
him." 

"  No  !  and  this  man  is  not  older  than  I  am." 

"Do  you  know  who  he  is ? "  queried  my  father. 

"Mister  Morgan,"  answered  Will,  with  an  in- 
scrutable smile. 

"  Morgan  ap  Megan  uch  Morgan  Ddu,  perhaps  ? " 
returned  my  father. 

"We  shall  know  some  day  —  before  long,  I 
hope,"  quoth  my  foster-brother. 

Here  I  broke  in.  "Don't  you  think  he  might 
be  over  at  Ynys  Galon  now  ? "  said  I. 

"  Well !  he'd  be  hardly  likely  to  stop  there  with 
a  single  boat's  crew,  and  there's  been  no  ship  seen 
in  the  offing  this  week  past,"  responded  my  father. 

"  I'd  like  to  go  and  see,  anyhow,"  persisted  I. 


THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON.  8 1 

"  It  wouldn't  be  a  bad  plan,"  mused  my  father. 

"Ah,  sir,  just  think !  If  this  man  and  his  boat's 
crew  are  on  the  island,  they  can  lie  in  wait  at  the 
harbour  neck  and  sink  as  many  boats  as  choose  to 
attempt  an  entrance,  or  they  could  pick  off  the 
people  in  them,  and  all  without  exposing  them- 
selves for  an  instant." 

"  But,"  argued  I,  "  if  they  are  on  the  island,  it  is 
to  seek  for  the  buried  treasure.  Therefore  they 
will  be  exploring  the  caves  and  I  need  not  land  at 
all.  I  can  hold  my  boat  close  enough  in  to  take  a 
good  look  at  the  caves,  while  still  keeping  out  of 
musket  shot.  Old  Morris  Las  will  go  with  me 
and  we  c^n  take  the  skiff." 

Will  shook  his  head  and  my  father  laughed, 
while  I  said  no  more  for  fear  of  causing  a  blank 
refusal  to  my  scheme.  As  things  stood  I  might 
go,  pleading  that  I  had  not  been  positively  denied, 
should  my  father  take  me  to  task  on  my  return. 
I  was  very  glad  therefore  to  see  the  door  open  at 
this  moment  and  the  doctor  enter.  Seizing  the 
opportunity,  I  stole  away  to  the  library,  where  upon 
the  wall  hung  a  very  heavy  musket,  the  contempla- 
tion of  which  had  often  bred  a  lust  for  battle  in 
my  soul.  Snatching  this  down,  I  hastily  bestowed 
a  supply  of  ammunition  about  my  person  and  then, 


82  THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON. 

almost  furtively,  passed  through  the  hall  and  into 
the  wood. 

I  do  not  remember  to  have  often  reached  Pwll- 
wen  in  so  short  a  time  as  I  did  that  morning, 
though  on  account  of  my  dignity  I  had  to  pull  up 
before  coming  to  the  bridge  in  order  to  strut  down 
the  street  in  approved  style  :  the  which  I  did,  as 
the  glances  of  the  maids  and  the  smiles  of  their 
mothers  showed.  Straight  on  I  kept,  saluting 
Evan  Black  Lion  punctiliously  as  I  passed,  but 
not  halting  till  I  reached  the  beach,  where,  as  I 
expected,  I  found  old  Morris. 

As  soon  as  he  heard  my  plan  he  fell  in  with  it 
at  once,  not,  as  I  now  think,  because  he  had  any 
idea  of  our  fetching  up  with  Mister  Morgan  and 
his  boat's  crew,  but  rather  because  he  was  pleased 
to  see  me  take  such  interest  in  the  island  and 
judged  it  well  to  keep  that  interest  alive. 

I,  of  course,  did  not  mention  the  recovery  of 
the  Jewel  to  him,  pleading  only  a  sort  of  general 
watchfulness  against  danger  as  justification  of  my 
anxiety,  and  was  very  well  pleased  to  note  his 
eagerness  to  approve  my  motives.  Therefore, 
inside  a  very  few  minutes  we  had  pushed  off,  old 
Morris  in  the  stern  of  the  skiff  with  his  one  hand 
on  the  tiller  and  the  other  on  the  turn  of  the  sheet, 


fHE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON.  83 

ready  for  every  puff  and  current  betwixt  us  and  our 
goal,  while  I  sat  forward,  nursing  my  great  musket 
which  was  crammed  with  buckshot  and  slugs. 

Ynys  Galon  is  not  visible  from  Pwllwen  by  rea- 
son of  the  bold  mass  of  Trwynhir  thrusting  so  far 
out  to  sea.  Close  under  the  western  face  of  this 
cape  there  lies  a  cluster  of  pinnacle  rocks,  just 
covered  at  high  tide.  They  have  been  known 
from  time  immemorial  by  a  name  signifying  "  The 
Teeth,"  and  betwixt  them  and  Trwynhir  the  cur- 
rent whirls  and  races  with  a  cruel,  hungry  strength, 
daunting  even  the  hardy  boatmen  of  Pwllwen. 
But  Morris  Las  knew  the  reach  and  lie  of  every 
wash  along  that  coast,  and  now  he  held  well  out 
to  the  open  sea,  avoiding  them  all,  until  we  had 
opened  out  the  view  of  the  island,  when  he  tacked 
and  bore  up  straight  for  the  southeast  shoulder  of  it. 

Eagerly  did  I  scan  the  frowning  cliffs  which 
render  that  island  totally  inaccessible,  save  only  at 
one  point  in  the  eastern  end  where  a  narrow  and 
tortuous  cleft  gives  dangerous  entrance  to  an  inner 
harbour  on  the  shore  of  which  the  old  sea-rovers 
had  built  their  town. 

But  there  was  no  sign  of  man  and  we  had  pur- 
posely left  the  harbour  upon  our  right,  planning  to 
examine  that  last.  For  the  present  we  kept  south- 


84  THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON. 

west  along  up  the  coast,  close-hauled  and  near 
enough  inshore  to  note  any  boat  that  might  be 
lying  off  any  of  the  caves  with  which  the  line  of 
cliffs  is  honeycombed. 

Presently  I  heard  the  louder  booming  which  be- 
tokened that  we  were  nearing  the  ever-raging  pan- 
demonium at  the  southwest  point  of  the  island^ 
known  from  its  terrible  formation  as  "  The  Jaw&,J ' 
with  which,  as  with  "The  Teeth,"  mentioned  ear- 
lier, I  was  destined  to  make  dreadful  acquaintance. 
This  day,  however,  all  that  was  far  from  me,  and  I 
was  pleased  to  see  old  Morris  ease  away  and  lie 
so  close  across  ere  the  sheet  slipped  out  still  more 
for  the  run  along  the  northwest  line  of  the  coast. 

There  is  this  difference  betwixt  the  two  coasts  of 
Ynys  Galon,  to  wit,  that  while  the  southern  is  a 
clean  drawn  one,  the  other  has  several  little  capes 
thrusting  bold  escarpments  more  or  less  far  out 
into  the  sea.  This  necessarily  results  in  leaving 
but  short  sights  to  people  bent  on  such  an  errand 
as  ours  was,  and  therefore  I  kept  a  keen  lookout 
as  far  as  possible.  We  had  not  settled  on  the  run 
more  than  a  short  stretch  before  my  eagerness  was 
justified,  and  I  discerned,  standing  out  from  behind 
the  first  bold  cape,  a  large  boat  loaded  down  with 
men. 


THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON.  85 

No  need  to  call  old  Morris ;  he  saw  it  as  soon  as 
its  stem  showed,  and  quick  as  thought  rallied  and 
stood  over  as  if  for  the  mainland.  But  there  was 
no  "if"  about  the  others'  intentions,  for  we  saw 
them  sharply  lay  a  course  to  bring  them  across  our 
bows  within  a  mile,  or  if  we  outsailed  them,  then 
to  bring  us  in  line  with  the  brass  gun  we  could  see 
glittering  on  a  heavy  platform  forward.  Quick  at 
that  old  Morris  stood  right  about  for  the  way  we 
had  come,  muttering  from  somewhere  behind  the 
blue  patchwork  of  scars  that  was  his  face,  "  Let 
them  follow,  they'll  soon  get  tired  of  that." 

Follow  they  did,  but  I  knew  there  could  be  no 
fear  of  the  result  of  such  a  race,  as  they  them- 
selves made  haste  to  confess ;  for,  almost  before  old 
Las'  chuckle  died  away,  I  saw  a  dozen  flashes 
along  their  gunwale  and  the  sea  spurted  in  as 
many  places  round  us  as  the  bullets  fell  short  or 
went  wide. 

"  Down  !  lie  low  !  "  croaked  old  Morris,  sharply, 
suiting  the  action  to  the  word  as  far  as  he  could, 
while  still  keeping  firm  hold  of  sheet  and  tiller. 
Even  as  I  obeyed  I  heard  another  scattering  volley 
and  the  sing  of  bullets  about  us,  together  with  the 
rip  of  one  that  passed  through  our  canvas,  but  so 
low  down  as  to  make  no  difference  in  our  speed. 


86  THE  JEWEL   OF   YNYS   GALON. 

"Ah,  boy  Ivor!  that's  no  matter,"  quoth  my 
companion,  chuckling  anew,  with  his  eye  over  the 
stern.  An  instant  later  he  laughed  outright  as  he 
sat  up  and  cried  in  derision. 

"See  them  go  about.  They  mean  to  try  and 
head  us  off  round  the  other  end  of  the  island. 
Somebody  in  that  boat  has  seen  this  skiff  lying 
on  the  beach  at  Pwllwen.  Never  afloat  though,  I 
reckon,  or  they  wouldn't  be  fools  enough  to  lay 
after  us  with  that  Dutch  galliot  of  a  craft.  Ivor) 
I  reckon  that's  Mister  Morgan  and  his  friends  en- 
joying a  little  sail  —  I  shouldn't  wonder." 

"Well,  if  it  is,  he'll  —  but  it's  nonsense,  Morris. 
He  must  see  that  with  our  speed  and  the  weather 
gauge  as  we  go  round,  we  can  slip  past  him  as  we 
please,"  said  I. 

"They  don't  intend  to  try  and  overhaul  us. 
What  they  look  to  do  is  to  be  snug  in  behind  the 
cliffs  beyond  the  harbour  neck  and  try  us  with  that 
brass  gun  if  they  can  do  no  better." 

"Then  why  didn't  they  try  the  gun  here?" 
queried  I. 

"  Perhaps  they  were  afraid  there  might  be  other 
boats  on  the  other  coast  of  the  island.  And  then 
again  perhaps  it  wasn't  loaded,  for  I  saw  them  put 
a  port  fire  to  it  and  it  wouldn't  catch." 


THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALOAT.  8/ 

This  last  seemed  to  be  good  enough  as  an  ex- 
planation, though  hardly  creditable  to  pirates  who 
might  be  attacked  at  any  moment.  However,  I  let 
it  pass,  asking  him  "  What  next  ? " 

"Well,"  replied  he,  looking  steadily  at  me,  his 
two  grey  eyes  twinkling  like  pike-points,  "  I'm 
thinking  after  all  that  I  would  like  to  make  sure 
about  Mister  Morgan.  You  see  maybe  they  are 
only  preventive  officers,  and  then  how  Pwllwen 
would  laugh  at  us  if  we  mustered  the  lads  and 
brought  out  the  boats  for  that.  Ho  !  ho  ! " 

This  struck  me  as  a  very  likely  view  of  the  case. 
I  did  not  stop  to  consider  that  revenue  officers 
generally  try  a  little  preliminary  investigating  be- 
fore turning  loose  with  muskets,  and  the  sugges- 
tion of  adventure  contained  in  old  Morris'  last 
words  jumped  too  nearly  with  my  youthful  inclina- 
tions to  leave  room  for  cool  reasoning.  Therefore 
I  fell  in  with  it  at  once. 

"All  right,  Morris,  let  us  make  sure  by  all  means. 
How  will  you  do  it  ? " 

"This  way;"  and  to  my  astonishment  and  de- 
light he  once  more  brought  the  skiff  round  and 
ran  as  freely  as  before  on  our  original  course.  By 
this  time,  however,  the  other  boat  was  clean  out  of 
sight  round  the  bluff.  As  we  slipped  along  within 


88  THE  JEWEL  OF  YNYS  GALON. 

pistol-shot  of  the  cliffs,  once  more  old  Morris  ex- 
plained. 

"It's  like  this.  You  know  there  are  two  or 
three  sharp  noses  of  rock  between  this  and  the 
harbour  neck,  and  as  they'll  about  hug  the  cliffs  all 
the  way,  why  we'll  follow,  keeping  behind  one  nose 
till  they've  rounded  the  next.  There's  only  a  short 
run  betwixt  the  two  last,  and  there  we'll  hold  right 
down  on  them.  They'll  be  lying  to  and  all  looking 
the  other  way  at  first,  but  as  soon  as  they  see  us 
we'll  swing  sharp  out  and  with  the  way  the  skiff 
will  have  on  we  shall  easily  haul  out  of  range  of 
them  while  they  are  trying  to  catch  the  wind. 
And  we  shall  still  have  been  close  enough  to 
recognise  Mister  Morgan  if  he's  there." 

"And  if  he  is ? "  queried  I. 

"Well,  as  they  tried  their  muskets  on  us,  it's 
our  turn  now.  When  we  open  out  the  sight  of 
them  you'll  stand  by  with  that  long  Tom  of  yours, 
and  when  I  give  the  word  you'll  loose  right  into 
the  thick  of  them.  If  we  manage  it  just  as  they 
come  round,  it'll  stop  the  gun  for  a  minute  if  it 
does  no  more.  D'ye  see  ? " 

"  I  do,"  answered  I,  my  heart  beating  high  at 
the  prospect  of  so  fine  drawn  a  hazard  with  Death. 
"  I'll  not  miss,  you  may  wager." 


THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON.  89 

"  D'ye  think  so  ?  Don't  be  too  sure.  Ivor  boy, 
there's  a  vast  difference  between  shooting  at  birds 
and  shooting  at  something  that  shoots  back.  It 
makes  the  bravest  man  tingle  so  that  he  may  well 
miss  his  first  shot.  Look !  your  hands  are  trem- 
bling now." 

Sure  enough,  they  were,  and  I  was  wroth  and 
shamed  both  at  my  apparent  weakness.  "  I'm  no 
coward  !  "  I  cried  hotly. 

"  There  never  came  a  coward  yet  from  Dolgoch, 
Ivor,"  answered  old  Morris.  Then  he  laughed  his 
grim  old  laugh  again  as  he  broke  into  a  strain  that 
smacked  more  of  piracy  than  honest  smuggling  : 

"  Lay  back  your  main  tops'le, 
And  your  foresheet  let  go, 
For  the  plank  and  the  plunge 
To  the  sharks  down  below." 

This  he  sang  in  English,  though  he  never  used 
to  brag  of  knowing  that  language.  Next  he  said, 
reverting  to  our  own  :  "That  is  why  I  told  you  to 
be  ready  now,  so  as  to  give  you  time  to  steady 
down  again.  But  mind,  you  are  not  to  lay  finger 
to  trigger  or  lift  the  musket  at  'all  unless  I  give 
the  word.  Then  skip  lively." 

By  this  time  we  were  rounding  the  first  of  the 
short  capes,  and  something  in  my  companion's 


90  THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON. 

face  caused  me  to  look  ahead.  I  was  just  in  time 
to  catch  sight  of  the  stern  of  the  other  boat  as  it 
glided  on  round  the  nose  next  in  front. 

"The  lubbers,"  growled  my  companion  in  deep 
scorn.  "  I  do  believe  they  are  revenue  officers 
after  all,  to  keep  so  bad  a  look-out  as  that." 

"  I  hope  not ! "  exclaimed  I  involuntarily. 

"  Ho,  ho  ! "  laughed  old  Morris  in  unholy  glee. 
"  Good  !  Good  !  "  And  he  continued  grinning 
and  nodding  as  I  reddened  with  new  shame  at 
my  bloodthirstiness.  You  see  I  was  but  a  boy 
yet  after  all,  in  spite  of  my  fine  boasting,  and  did 
not  perhaps  realise  all  the  bearings  of  the  business 
in  hand. 

The  last  near  shave  of  discovery  caused  old  Mor- 
ris to  bring  to  for  a  little  while,  since,  as  he  re- 
marked, the  next  reach  was  longer  than  this  one, 
and  we  must  give  them  time  to  double  the  third 
nose  ere  we  passed  the  second.  I  was  terribly 
impatient  while  we  drifted  idly  along,  but  after 
we  got  under  way  again  the  stratagem  was  justi- 
fied, there  being  no  sign  of  a  sail  betwixt  the 
capes  when  we  rounded  the  second.  Then  as  we 
reached  along  nearer  and  nearer,  my  courage  grew 
cooler  and  cooler;  but  so  also  did  the  stubbornness 
of  my  mind  grow  stiffer,  and  when  we  passed  the 


THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON.  91 

third  cape  and  saw  before  us  the  fourth  and  last, 
I  cleared  my  throat  in  a  rage  of  self-contempt.  I 
felt  my  face  go  red  as  I  thought  of  all  my  eager- 
ness both  in  Will  Barry's  chamber,  and  afterwards 
when  we  first  turned  to  follow  the  pirates.  I  could 
almost  have  cried  for  shame. 

Old  Morris  was  watching  me  with  the  ghost  of 
a  grin  in  his  eyes,  and  when  my  glance  encoun- 
tered his  he  nodded  sagely  : 

"  Ah,  Ivor,  I  know  you  better  than  that :  you 
wouldn't  go  back  now  if  I  asked  you  to." 

The  idea  of  him  wishing  to  turn  back  tickled 
my  fancy  so  irresistibly  that  I  broke  into  a  peal 
of  laughter.  "  No  !  I  would  not !  although  I  do 
feel  so  funny." 

He  laughed  too  at  that.  "  You  take  it  too  seri- 
ous like.  When  it's  all  over  you'll  wonder  to 
think  how  simple  it  was,  and  you'll  swear  it  was 
nothing  at  all.  Just  keep  steady  and  we'll  pull 
through  all  right." 

After  this  I  felt  better,  and  carefully  shook  my 
musket  to  see  if  the  priming  was  all  right. 
"That's  it,  son,"  quoth  my  companion,  approv- 
ingly, "and  now  we'll  stand  in  to  get  the  reach 
for  that  last  nose." 

The  strain  of  those  few  moments  during  which 


92  THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON". 

we  put  inshore  was  far  more  severe  than  anything 
I  remember  since,  though  I  have  been  in  many 
dangers  that  were  vastly  greater.  I  lay  it,  how- 
ever, to  this  being  my  first  brush  with  Death  in 
cool  blood. 

And  now  mechanically  I  watched  the  tiller  move 
and  we  ran  smoothly  and  steadily  along  the  front 
of  that  last  cape.  To  this  day  I  can  recall  with 
startling  vividness  the  white  fluff  where  the  rip- 
ples cushioned  themselves  along  the  port  bow  as 
we  pressed  them  back.  Behind  that  point  of  rock 
and  not  two  hundred  yards  away  the  pirate  boat 
must  be  lying.  My  fingers  itched  upon  the 
trigger. 

And  now  we  were  abreast  of  it  and  old  Morris 
shifted  the  tiller  once  more,  keeping  so  close 
under  that  I  could  certainly  have  touched  the 
cliffs  with  a  boat-hook  had  I  tried.  Then  another 
slight  shift  and  we  were  bearing  straight  for  the 
flapping  sail  of  the  boat  which  yawed  and  washed 
before  us.  Its  crew  did  not  notice  us  at  first, 
and  we  had  time  to  note  them  well.  There  was 
no  mistaking  the  figure  amidships  ;  it  was  the 
loser  of  the  Jewel,  and  with  him  fifteen  or  twenty 
of  the  most  hardbitten  ruffians  that  ever  dried  in 
chains. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

IN   WHICH   OLD    MORRIS    SHOWS    HIS    SKILL. 

SEVERAL  of  them  were  busy  with  the  brass  gun 
forward,  the  captain  directing,  and  it  was  one  of 
these  who,  straightening  up  to  mop  his  brow,  first 
saw  us  and  yelled  to  the  rest. 

"Steady  !  steady,  Ivor, "  spoke  old  Morris  coolly. 
"  Stand  by  with  the  musket,  but  don't  lift  it  till 
we  are  well  in  range.  Then  aim  aft,  and  I'll  give 
the  word." 

We  were  by  this  time  within  fifty  yards,  and 
could  see  plainly  the  uproar  amongst  them.  One 
or  two  hastily  seized  and  put  out  oars.  The  helms- 
man, standing,  gesticulated  wildly.  One  flew  to 
the  sheet.  Some  snatched  up  muskets  and  hur- 
riedly blazed  away  at  us.  Zip !  zip !  hummed 
the  balls,  too  wildly  aimed  to  hit  us  —  and  still 
the  skiff  rushed  on,  straight  as,  death,  in  answer 
to  that  grim  old  sea-wolf  at  her  helm.  Then  I 
lifted  the  musket  to  my  shoulder  and  heard  the 
deep  growl  of  old  Las. 

93 


94  THE  JEWEL  OF  YNYS  GALOtf. 

"Now!" 

Glancing  along  the  sights  as  coolly  as  ever  I 
did,  all  my  fears  forgotten,  I  took  deliberate  aim 
and  fired  full  into  where  they  clustered  on  the 
after-thwarts.  That  double  charge  told  home, 
and  never  shall  I  forget  the  roar  of  howls  and 
curses  which  burst  forth  at  the  flash.  The  boat 
yawed  off  again,  the  steersman's  arm  going  round 
like  a  windmill  where  it  was  broken  close  up,  and 
there  was  a  writhing  knot  of  maddened  pirates 
falling  all  over  him.  I  saw  their  captain  coolly 
leap  over  them  and  seize  the  helm,  and  at  the 
same  moment  my  companion  put  the  skiff  round 
and  we  stood  over  as  if  for  Trwynhir,  while  in  a 
fog-horn  of  a  voice  he  roared  : 

"  Lay  back  your  main  tops'le, 
And  your  foresheet  let  go, 
For  the  plank  and  the  plunge 
To  the  sharks  down  below." 

Above  the  horrible  words  of  that  song,  however, 
I  could  hear  still  more  horrible  curses  from  the 
other  boat,  and,  louder  yet,  the  voice  of  their  cap- 
tain to  those  with  the  oars. 

"Round  with  her!  Round  with  her!  Bring 
her  round  ,for  the  gun  to  bear." 

I  was  hurriedly  ramming  home  a  ball  into  my 


THE  JEWEL  OF  YNYS  GALON.  95 

musket,  and  though  we  were  hauling  away  as  swift 
as  a  swallow,  yet  I  determined  to  try  a  long  shot 
at  the  gunner  as  he  laid  his  gun.  There  was  short 
time  for  aim,  and  therefore  my  pride  got  a  shock, 
for  I  missed  my  mark.  But  perhaps  I  did  better, 
for  I  hit  the  fellow  standing  beside  him  with  the 
port  fire,  breaking  his  wrist  and  causing  him  to 
drop  his  light  overboard. 

That  was  another  half  a  minute  gained,  pre- 
cious indeed,  for  the  tangle  of  blood  and  blas- 
phemy had  now  straightened  itself  out,  and  their 
sails  were  drawing  like  ox  ropes.  Then  the  dread- 
ful song  broke  off  in  the  middle  of  a  word  :  my 
companion  shut  his  jaws  like  a  steel  trap,  as  he 
brought  the  skiff  up  and  laid  a  new  course,  broad- 
side on  to  that  grinning  brass  muzzle.  We  could 
see  their  captain  squint  along  the  gun  as  he  bent 
to  lay  a  spunk  of  fire  to  it. 

"  Lie  low,  Ivor,"  snapped  old  Las,  shifting  his 
helm,  and  instantly  as  I  obeyed  I  could  yet  dis- 
cern the  flash,  while  at  the  same  time  I  felt  the 
skiff  whirl  round  stern  on  to  it  and  heard  the 
whizz  and  splash  as  the  shot  strtick  a  full  length 
away  upon  the  starboard  bow. 

"A  rare  gunner,  that  captain,"  muttered  old 
Morris.  "  I'll  lay  he's  captured  many  a  ship  with 


96  THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON. 

a  Long  Tom  alone.  We've  got  to  look  slippy  if 
we  get  clean  off." 

It  was  a  wonder  to  us  both  to  note  how  well 
and  smartly  the  pirate  boat  sailed,  in  spite  of 
her  seeming  clumsiness.  Though  the  skiff  was 
rushing  along  like  a  gull,  yet  our  lead  increased 
but  slowly.  They  were  busy  reloading  their  gun, 
and  I  could  see  that  old  Morris  was  grimly  anxious 
about  the  next  shot.  "  If  only  they  miss  with  this 
next  I'll  put  them  high  and  dry,  and  do  it  so  ship- 
shape it'll  maze  them  to  think  of  it,"  said  he. 

I  didn't  fully  appreciate  his  last  words  just 
then ;  I  was  busy  wondering  if  we  should  be 
pooped  or  what.  I  saw  their  terrible  captain  lean 
forward  once  more  with  his  sparkle  of  light,  I 
caught  the  flash  and  my  heart  stopped  suddenly 
beating  as  I  realised  that  the  smoke  made  the 
background  to  a  picture  of  the  ball  striking  the 
water  half  a  dozen  lengths  in  rear,  but  in  a  dead 
line  for  our  stern.  I  was  acutely  conscious  of 
a  hissing  rush,  I  felt  a  shower  of  spray  in  my 
face,  and  then  that  same  old  chorus  burst  out 
afresh  in  triumph.  Half-way  through,  however, 
it  stopped  for  old  Las  to  explain  to  me : 

"The  shot  took  the  side  of  a  little  wave  and 
glanced  off  to  port.  'Twas  close  enough,  though, 


THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON.  97 

to  have  smashed  our  oars  had  we  been  rowing. 
But  what  of  that !  a  miss  is  a  miss  and  makes  no 
odds  anyway. 

For  the  plank  and  the  plunge 
To  the  sharks  down  below. 

Aroo !  Ivor,  but  that  chap  is  a  rare  gunner — I 
should  like  to  sail  along  with  him  once  for  a  treat." 

It  was  wonderful  how  the  scent  of  danger 
loosened  the  old  sea- wolf's  tongue  that  usually 
was  so  mute. 

All  this  time  he  was  still  keeping  the  same 
course,  and  when  I  looked  ahead  I  saw  that  we 
were  drawing  straight  for  the  cliffs  of  Trwynhir, 
where  even  a  limpet  could  not  land  and  the  surge 
never  ceased  its  weltering  uprush  or  hushed  its 
baffled  roaring.  I  looked  back  to  old  Morris. 
He  was  watching  me  intently,  and  now  he  grinned 
like  a  ship's  figurehead. 

"  It's  all  right,  Ivor !  Mister  Morgan  thinks 
he's  got  us  already.  I  reckon  he  knows  we  can't 
land  anywhere  here  in  front,  and  he's  already  haul- 
ing over  a  touch.  See  him  !  shaping  for  a  point 
just  out  from  the  forefoot  of  Trwynhir !  You 
may  lay  the  boys  were  careful  not  to  explain  to 
him  about  the  'Teeth'  over  there,  and  the  tide 


98  THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON. 

is  lip-lipping  two  foot  deep  on  the  ledge.  Pres- 
ently there'll  be  some  other  lip-lipping  when  he 
gets  on  the  ledge  too." 

I  think  I  began  by  joining  in  my  companion's 
grin :  I  know  that  I  ended  in  an  uproarious  laugh, 
which  was  a  great  relief  to  me,  and  after  that 
I  seemed  to  be  as  hardened  to  the  situation  as 
he  was. 

We  were  heading  well  inland  from  the  nose  of 
the  Great  Cape,  and  he  now  began  to  make  short 
tacks  and  to  hang  occasionally  in  stays  as  though 
he  had  lost  the  good  breeze,  the  sight  of  which 
induced  the  pirate  to  hold  well  out  for  fear  of 
losing  it  also.  Old  Morris  was  watching  it  all 
keenly,  and  now,  muttering  something  beneath  his 
breath,  rose  and  looked  earnestly  from  the  point 
of  Trwynhir  over  to  the  island,  carefully  noting 
the  position  of  the  pirate  between.  Satisfied  at 
length,  he  kept  his  gaze  fixed  upon  the  latter  for 
a  moment  or  two  longer,  and  then,  plumping  down 
on  his  thwart,  tacked  and  stood  along  parallel  to 
the  cliff  as  if  attempting  to  slip  between  the  cape 
and  our  pursuers. 

At  this  move  we  could  see  them  alter  their 
course,  closing  in  to  cut  us  off  at  once.  Five 
minutes  of  this :  ten  minutes,  and  I  could  see 


THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON  99 

them  laying  the  gun.  Nearer  and  nearer  we 
came ;  I  nervously  expecting  every  second  to  hear 
the  report.  Glancing  round  to  my  companion, 
there  was  the  same  old  grin  on  his  features,  but 
even  while  I  gazed  he  nodded. 

"  Got  them  !     Look  !  " 

I  turned  just  in  time.  First  one  of  the  pirates 
in  the  bow  sprang  up  and  yelled,  pointing  ahead 
as  he  did  so.  Then  every  man  of  them  raised 
up  to  look,  and  the  one  steering  to  jam  the  tiller 
over.  Then  he  swung  it  back  again,  but  it  was 
too  late. 

She  yawed,  leaped  forward  again  and  struck 
with  a  force  that  pitched  the  one  in  the  bows 
head  foremost  overboard,  with  the  brass  piece 
hard  after  him. 

"  Hard  and  fast,"  commented  old  Morris  dryly. 
"  No !  she'll  not  sink  unless  she  backs  off,  and 
that's  not  likely.  I  can  just  see  the  tip  of  the 
inner  Dog  Tooth  and  the  tip  of  the  outer,  and  so 
I  know  that  where  she  is  there  is  hardly  half  a 
fathom  at  spring  tide.  Now  we'll  haul  up  into 
the  wind  and  reach  out  past  thera  for  room  to  run 
home.  Then  we'll  fetch  out  a  couple  of  boatloads 
of  the  lads  and  clap  that  gunner  where  he'll  look 
uncommonly  handsome ; "  and  suiting  the  action 


100  THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON. 

to  the  word,  he  wore  the  skiff  and  laid  a  course  out 
for  the  open  sea. 

When  we  came  abreast  of  the  stranded  boat  a 
fusillade  from  the  muskets  greeted  us,  useless, 
because  we  were  out  of  range.  Nevertheless 
old  Morris  stood  up  and  hailed  them  in  English, 
holding  the  helm  steady  with  his  knee  the 
while  —  and  they  ceased  firing  to  catch  what  he 
said.  I  never  heard  a  voice  ring  out  so  far 
at  sea. 

"Ahoy,  Mister  Morgan!  I'm  going  to  bring 
out  a  couple  o'  boats  to  rescue  you.  It  'ud  be  a 
mortal  shame  to  let  you  drown,  when  you'd  look 
so  handsome  at  the  gallows  arm  with  the  bracelets 
on.  Ahoy !  " 

This  angered  them  so  that  they  raised  a  long 
yell  of  rage,  and  whipping  up  their  muskets  once 
more  they  cracked  off  in  another  waste  of  ammu- 
nition. Then  as  we  gained  room  enough  we 
slacked  off  again  in  a  long  run  down  for  the  har- 
bour of  Pwllwen,  while  the  last  I  saw  of  the 
pirates  was  the  whole  crew,  save  the  captain, 
standing  and  shaking  their  fists  at  us  and,  no 
doubt,  blaspheming  heartily. 

The  captain  appeared  to  be  taking  soundings 
with  the  boat-hook,  though  perhaps  he  was  fishing 


THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON.  ioi 

for  the  fellow  who  pitched  overboard.  Or  again, 
it  may  have  been  for  the  six  pounder. 

The  whole  way  to  Pwllwen  I  was  in  a  fever  of 
impatience,  in  direct  contrast  to  my  companion, 
who  might  have  been  returning  from  fishing,  so 
absolutely  calm,  not  to  say  wooden,  was  he. 
Long  before  we  reached  the  beach  I  had  made 
signals  that  brought  all  the  place  down  to  the 
water's  edge,  and  when  we  ran  gently  in  to  the 
landing  it  required  a  very  short  time  to  tell  our 
news.  Old  Morris  told  it. 

"  There  is  poor  Mister  Morgan  and  some  of  his 
friends  getting  their  feet  wet  on  the  Teeth  ;  we'll 
take  out  the  boats  and  bring  them  home." 

A  long  chorus  of  jokes  greeted  this,  and  while 
the  young  boys  sped  swiftly  to  the  cottages  to 
bring  weapons  and  gear  for  the  men,  these  got 
the  boats  afloat ;  old  Morris  and  I  transferred 
ourselves  to  my  father's  fast  long  boat,  into  which 
those  boasting  purest  Ap  Morgan  blood  sprang 
to  join  us  immediately  she  floated.  The  weapons, 
oars,  sails  and  tackle  were  speedily  flung  aboard, 
and  I  began  to  indulge  high  rjopes.  Our  boat 
was  the  fastest  in  the  place,  and  therefore  it  was 
likely  we  should  have  the  honour  of  finishing  with 
the  pirates  all  to  ourselves,  before  the  others  could 


102  THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON. 

come  up.  But  already  I  noted  with  gathering  dis- 
may that  the  rest  of  the  boats  were  off  while  we  re- 
mained waiting  for  the  rum  old  Morris  had  ordered. 

I  chafed  at  the  delay,  but  the  others  in  the  boat 
were  imperturbable  and  I  could  not  exert  any  au- 
thority, for  was  I  not  son  or  brother  to  them  all, 
and  were  they  not  to  know  what  was  good  for  me  ? 
I  was  right  glad  therefore  to  see  Evan  Black  Lion 
running  down  with  the  long  bottle  and  the  mugs. 

"  Stand  by  with  the  mugs,  lads,"  cried  Morris. 
"  Here,  Ivor,  son,  take  this,"  handing  me  some 
rum  in  a  pewter ;  "  'tis  a  seaman's  drink.  Now 
here's  a  toast.  Dolgoch  never  bred  any  but  the 
right  sort,  but  the  latest  was  always  as  good  as 
the  best,  and  so  is  young  Ivor  here  in  the  boat 
with  us.  He's  as  sound  at  the  broaching  as  any- 
thing I  ever  saw.  Good  luck  to  him  !  " 

Then  they  all  shouted  in  my  honour,  and  I  made 
a  manful  endeavour  to  swallow  the  rum,  but  it 
stuck  in  my  throat  and  nearly  choked  me.  Old 
Morris  laughed  and  clapped  me  on  the  back. 

"Ah,  but  you'll  learn  to  drink  it  in  time,  for 
you're  the  right  sort  and  you'll  see  the  roaring 
times  yet,  I'll  warrant  you." 

Almost  before  I  had  wiped  my  eyes  clear  of  the 
tears  the  rum  had  brought  I  found  we  were  well 


THE  JEWEL  OF  YNYS  GALON.  103 

away,  old  Morris  at  the  tiller  as  before,  and  I 
knew  we  should  win  the  race.  As  before,  too, 
he  held  well  out  till  he  had  crossed  the  inshore 
currents  and  got  the  full  sweep  of  the  breeze, 
while  the  others  were  still  ploughing  against  the 
wash  and  with  the  lofty  sweep  of  Trwynhir  to 
break  and  chop  their  wind.  They  were  slower 
also  by  far  than  we,  and  I  was  heartily  pleased  as 
one  by  one  we  fetched  them  abeam  and  then 
watched  them  slowly  dropping  back  over  the 
starboard  quarter.  Already  more  than  an  hour 
had  gone  since  I  caught  the  last  glimpse  of  the 
pirate's  boat  on  the  rocks,  and  I  wondered  what 
had  become  of  them  in  the  meantime.  The  tide 
was  falling,  and  I  looked  to  find  them  high  and 
dry  and  as  helpless  as  so  many  landed  sharks. 
Judge  of  my  consternation  then,  when,  having  at 
last  opened  out  upon  the  Teeth,  we  found  them 
clean  and  bare  of  either  boat  or  pirates  !  I  stared 
in  dismay  at  their  black  tips  and  tossing  surges. 

"  But  we  left  them  stranded  on  the  Teeth  with 
half  a  dozen  holes  in  their  boat,  to  judge  from  the 
way  she  sank  to  the  gunwales."  'I  expostulated  to 
old  Morris  as  if  he  were  responsible  for  this  disap- 
pearance. 

He  merely  shifted  his  quid  and  spat  over  into 


104          THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON. 

the  sea,  having  a  trick  of  chewing  tobacco,  first 
caught,  I  believe,  from  smoking  those  foreign 
things,  cigars. 

Then  one  of  the  old  salt-cakes  for'ard  said 
hoarsely  to  him,  "  Sure  you  saw  her  strike  ?  " 

"  Sure  you  see  me  ? "  demanded  old  Las. 

That  stopped  all  argument,  and  accordingly  we 
held  our  tongues  till  we  were  alongside  the  very 
spot  where  we  had,  as  I  said,  "  left  Mister  Morgan 
fishing  for  guns  and  men." 

There  was  no  mistaking  the  spot  :  a  long,  flat- 
topped  ridge  of  rock,  more  than  half-tide  high, 
with  its  surface  studded  here  and  there  with  humps 
and  lumps  and  pinnacles  of  harder  rock  lifting  so 
as  to  be  even  with  top  tide.  Upon  this  ledge  were 
plentiful  indications  of  the  disaster.  The  brass 
gun  lying  sullenly  wedged  between  two  smaller 
points,  here  and  there  small  arms,  a  musket  or  two, 
and  a  pair  of  sea  boots,  as  though  kicked  off  to 
prevent  their  pulling  some  swimmer  under.  Still 
more  suggestive,  however,  than  all  the  rest,  the 
body  of  a  dead  pirate  lay,  face  down,  half  in,  half 
out  of  the  water,  the  heavy  boots  wedged  in  a. 
crevice,  the  upper  part  of  the  body  rising  and  fall- 
ing amongst  the  brown  seaweed  as  the  little  wave- 
lets gently  lifted  and  sank  again  with  the  receding 


THE  JEWEL  OF  YNYS  GALON.  105 

tide.  The  cause  of  the  death  was  not  drowning, 
though,  as  could  be  plainly  seen  :  the  bald  circle 
on  top  of  the  skull  was  completely  stove  in. 

"  That  is  the  fellow  pitched  overboard  when  she 
struck,"  quoth  old  Morris ;  "  struck  his  head  on 
the  '  Teeth '  and  got  both  killed  and  drowned,  I 
reckon." 

"  Where  do  you  reckon  the  rest  are  ? "  queried 
Rowland  Hir  from  the  bows. 

"  Put  your  boat-hook  down  and  touch  the  bot- 
tom," answered  Las. 

"  Couldn't  reach  it  with  a  ship's  mast,"  grunted 
the  other,  vainly  sounding  and  jabbing  with  the 
long  boat-hook. 

"  That  is  where  Mister  Morgan  and  his  friends 
have  the  best  of  you,"  quoth  Morris  with  a  sar- 
donic grin.  "  I  reckon  they  can  all  touch  it  with 
their  noses  —  that's  where  I  reckon  the  rest  are," 
concluded  he. 

"Then  how  did  the  boat  get  drowned  too?" 
queried  I. 

"  Like  enough  they  got  out,  and  shoved  her  off : 
then  they  climbed  in  and  she  sunk  beautifully  with 
them  all.  I  take  it  downright  unhandsome  of  Mis- 
ter Morgan  and  his  friends,  though,  to  put  us  to 
Jhe  trouble  of  coming  out  here  for  nothing.  How- 


106  THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON 

ever,  we  had  better  take  those  boots  and  that  six 
pounder  aboard  and  then  get  home  before  dark." 

The  other  boats  had  come  home  by  this  time, 
and  great  was  the  disappointment  and  loudly  was 
it  expressed.  There  was  no  help  for  it,  however, 
and,  as  the  sun  was  now  setting,  we  put  each 
about,  reluctant  and  chagrined,  for  home. 


CHAPTER   IX. 

TOUCHING   THE    DRAWING    UP    OF    PLANS   NOT 
EXECUTED. 

WHEN  we  reached  the  shore  I  felt  some  trepida- 
tion at  the  sight  of  my  father,  pacing  to  and  fro 
just  beyond  the  shingle,  evidently  awaiting  my  re- 
turn. I  feared  he  would  be  angry  with  me,  as  well 
he  might,  considering  how  unfilially  I  had  gone  off 
the  second  time  for  a  brush  with  the  pirates,  with- 
out giving  him  warning  that  he  might  have  taken 
the  post  of  leader,  as  was  his  by  right.  It  had 
been  my  eagerness  and  greediness  for  winning 
credit  which  had  caused  my  transgression,  and  it 
smote  me  so  sorely  that  I  ceased  to  dread  my 
father's  anger  in  my  great  desire  to  beg  his  for- 
giveness. Therefore  I  strode  at  once  over  to  where 
he  had  halted,  bowing  humbly  before  him  while  he 
greeted  me,  a  little  sternly  as  I  thought. 

"Well,  sir?" 

At  that  I  felt  his  reproof  so  just  as  to  leave 

me  no  word  that  I  could  say,  saving  only : 

107 


108  THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON. 

"  Forgive  me,  father,  I  forgot  and  I  am  not  fit 
to  be  reckoned  a  man  yet  —  " 

"How,  sir?" 

But  I  thought  I  could  discern  his  voice  less 
stern,  and  the  joy  of  that  found  me  my  tongue 
again,  so  that  I  pleaded  most  eloquently  for  my  lack 
of  reverence,  ending  up  though,  in  a  sentence  of  the 
oddest  —  "and  I  hit  both  times  I  fired,  father." 

I  had  seen  his  face  relaxing  to  my  urging  and, 
towards  the  end,  even  dawning  into  a  smile ;  but 
at  the  last  words  I  spoke  he  burst  into  a  pleased 
laugh,  and  "Ah!  my  son!  my  son!"  Then  break- 
ing off,  he  added  in  another  voice,  "  How  much 
he  does  remind  me  of  his  mother." 

At  this,  almost  the  only  time  I  ever  heard  him 
mention  the  parent  I  never  knew,  I  turned  my 
face  away  that  my  glance  might  not  embarrass 
him,  but  well  pleased  to  hear  him  so  express  him- 
self, for  thereby  I  felt  assured  that  I  stood  as  high 
in  his  affections  as  before  my  conduct  of  the  after- 
noon. There  was  a  pause  of  a  moment  or  two 
and  then  he  took  my  shoulder,  and  we  started  for 
the  Black  Lion ;  the  men,  who  had  before  stood 
back  so  as  not  to  intrude  upon  our  meeting,  now 
accompanying  us. 

At  the  door  of  the  inn  we  halted,  where  my 


THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON.  109 

father,  seating  himself  upon  the  bench  there,  com- 
manded old  Morris  Las  to  stand  forth  and  tell  his 
story  while  Evan  Landlord  supplied  us  with  ale 
to  accompany  it.  It  was  fallen  dusk  by  this,  a 
thing  whereof  I  was  mightily  glad  ere  long,  for, 
while  every  man  pressed  round  to  listen,  you 
would  have  thought  —  to  believe  that  unblushing 
old  seadog's  story  —  that  I  was  the  one  who  did 
all  the  smart  and  clever  things  of  the  action,  while 
he  had  merely  accompanied  me  to  note  the  whole 
and  as  a  spectator  who  would  afterwards  be  able 
to  sing  my  glory  to  an  admiring  multitude,  after 
the  manner  of  bards. 

So  much  was  I  distressed  to  hear  myself  thus 
exalted  at  his  expense  that  I  meanly  tried  to 
obtain  revenge  by  greeting  him,  at  the  conclusion 
of  his  narrative,  as  a  new  bard  is  greeted,  and 
calling  him  by  the  name  which  signified  as  if  I 
said  "  Morris  of  the  Silver  Tongue." 

Then  I  was  hot  at  my  own  petulance  and  in  the 
same  breath  begged  him  to  forget  my  words,  while 
I  turned  and  broke  forth  into  something  like  the 
truth  of  our  doings,  ending  by  crying  out,  "  You 
all  know  old  Morris  Las  and  you  all  know  me,  and 
you  can  judge  for  yourself  which  of  us  is  nearest 
to  being  right." 


1 10          THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON. 

But  my  father  was  smiling,  as  I  knew,  and  all 
the  rest  were  shouting  and  laughing,  and  I  saw 
it  was  no  use  and  that  they  would  ever  believe  old 
Las'  tale  for  the  pure  pleasure  of  their  love  for 
me.  So  I  was  glad  of  the  darkness  and  only 
wished  I  were  away  by  myself  for  a  little  while. 
Then  in  my  honour  Evan  Black  Lion  prayed  my 
father  to  allow  him  to  tap  the  ale  and  keep  a  free 
house  for  that  night,  whereupon  the  permission 
was  granted.  A  stipulation,  however,  was  made 
that  some  two  or  three  should  fetch  down  from 
Dolgoch  the  buck  that  had  been  seven  days  hang- 
ing, and  a  dozen  huge  loaves  of  the  white  bread 
the  kitchen  folk  were  so  proud  of.  Then,  Morris 
Las  being  first  desired  to  attend  us  home,  we  bade 
them  all  good  night,  while  they  gave  us  a  rousing 
cheer  as  we  left  the  circle  and  passed  up  the  street 
and  over  the  bridge  to  the  gates  of  the  avenue. 
My  foster-mother  seldom  dined  with  us,  preferring 
the  seclusion  of  her  own  apartments  unless  my 
father  made  a  point  of  the  matter,  but  to-night 
she  first  took  old  Morris  and  gave  orders  that  he 
should  be  waited  upon  with  the  best  the  larder 
afforded,  and  then  came  in  and  joined  us. 

This  I  took  for  a  compliment  to  myself,  and 
before  the  meal  was  over  I  was  become  as  proud 


THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON.  ill 

as  a  turkey-cock  to  hear  my  father  recount  to  her 
the  tale  of  the  day's  doings  ;  using  a  version  of  his 
own  in  which  his  father's  partiality  borrowed  some- 
what of  the  ornaments  of  old  Morris'  story  where- 
with to  embroider  the  simplicity  of  my  own. 

I  should  have  mentioned  that  word  had  been 
left  with  Morris  acquainting  him  that  Will  Barry 
in  the  room  above  would  be  very  fain  of  his  com- 
pany when  he  should  have  finished  his  meal,  and 
there  accordingly  we  found  him  when,  having 
ended  our  own,  my  father  and  I  repaired  thither 
to  a  conference  upon  the  situation.  I  did  not 
exactly  discern  where  the  conferring  could  bestow 
a  benefit,  but  of  course  I  was  eager  to  hear  any 
discussion  which  might  bear  upon  the  new  aspect 
of  things  ushered  in  by  the  reappearance  of  the 
Jewel.  As  soon  as  we  entered  I  saw  at  a  glance 
that,  while  Will  knew  of  the  stranding  of  "Mister 
Morgan,"  old  Morris  had  learnt  in  return  that  the 
bloody  old  token  was  come  home  again  to  be 
reckoned  with,  and  there  was  a  look  of  subdued 
excitement  about  his  eyes  that  I  had  not  seen, 
even  when  he  sang  his  pirate  'song  the  loudest 
betwixt  the  capes  that  day. 

"Well,  Morris,"  said  my  father  at  once,  "have 
you  told  Will  about  the  affair  of  to-day  ? " 


112  THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON. 

"I  have,  sir,  and  he  has  told  me  about  the 
Jewel." 

"Ah  well!  the  pirates  are  drowned,  though," 
pursued  my  father,  but  in  a  voice  not  one-half  so 
confident  as  the  words. 

"  Perhaps!  "  responded  the  other  significantly. 

"  You  think  they  escaped  then  ? " 

"  Perhaps,"  came  again  with  the  same  signifi- 
cant inflection. 

"  I  am  sure  they  escaped,"  put  in  Will  Barry 
doggedly. 

"  Why  ?  "  queried  my  father. 

"  Well,  for  one  reason  I  am  sure  because  I  feel 
sure,  and  that  is  no  reason  at  all.  But  do  you 
think  it  likely,  sir,  that  they  would  back  off  their 
boat  without  first  roughly  plugging  the  leaks  with 
strips  of  clothing :  quite  good  enough  to  keep 
them  afloat?" 

"  Then  why  did  they  leave  their  arms  and  the 
boots,  and  further,  how  was  it  that  they  were  not 
seen,  when  it  is  at  least  three  miles  to  the  island, 
or  more  ? " 

"Simply  enough,  sir.  They  must  have  pushed 
off  immediately  the  skiff  passed  out  of  sight. 
They  couldn't  have  done  it  later,  when  the  tide 
went  down  and  left  the  ledge  bare ;  their  craft  was 


THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON.  113 

too  heavy  for  that.  The  captain  was  seen  prod- 
ding round  with  the  boat-hook,  that  was  by  way  of 
discovering  the  bottom  with  a  view  to  climbing 
overboard  and  shoving  off.  Possibly  they  threw 
the  arms  into  the  water  to  make  believe  they  were 
all  capsized  and  drowned,  so  that  they  might  thus 
obtain  time  to  get  away.  As  exactly  happened." 

Old  Morris  was  nodding  approval  to  Will's 
speech  all  the  way  through,  so  now  my  father 
turned  to  him. 

"What  do  you  think,  Las  ?" 

"  Just  the  same  as  Will  Steward,  sir.  I  thought 
so  at  the  time." 

"Then  why  didn't  you  act  upon  your  opinion 
and  give  chase?"  quoth  my  father. 

"  One  thing  was  that  Mister  Morgan,  if  he  did 
get  away,  would  naturally  head  straight  back  for 
the  harbour  on  Ynys  Galon,  and  as  he  would  see 
us  coming  he  could  lay  himself  out  to  welcome  us. 
Whole  fleets  of  King's  ships  before  now  have  found 
out  what  that  means  in  that  harbour  neck.  Another 
thing  that  I  wouldn't  tell  to  any  one  but  the  pres- 
ent company,  is  that  I  had  a  sort  of  a  liking  for 
Mister  Morgan,  because  he  showed  himself  such  a 
rare  gunner  and  such  a  seaman  when  Ivor  let  drive 
into  his  crew  of  lubbers.  I  reckoned  he  ought  to 
i 


114  THE  JEWEL   OF    YNYS  GALON. 

have  a  chance,  though  I  couldn't  have  given  you 
any  better  reason  then.  Belike  it  was  his  blood, 
as  I  know  now  that  he  is  kin  to  us  all." 

"Then  you  believe  he  is  ? "  queried  my  father. 

"Son  of  Megan,  old  Rhys  Harries'  daughter, 
that  was  sister  to  Will  Steward's  mother  and  third 
cousin  to  me,"  replied  old  Morris.  "  It  is  blood 
that  tells,  sir,  and  only  the  old  Morgan  blood  could 
have  stood  to  it  so  prettily  as  he  did  to-day.  I  tell 
you,  sir,  my  heart  warmed  to  see  the  way  he  trod 
those  squirming  lubbers  under  foot  when  he  reached 
for  the  helm  —  and  then  the  rare  way  he  laid  that 
gun  ! "  There  was  a  ring  of  pride  in  the  speaker's 
tone  as  he  ended. 

"Aye,  well,  Morris,  you  are  as  stark  a  pirate 
to-day  in  your  heart  as  ever  Morgan  Ddu  was  or 
this  other  Morgan  is,  so  I  will  forgive  your  letting 
him  escape.  But  now  you  must  say  what  you  think 
is  best  to  be  done.  I  intend  to  fall  on  to  these  ras- 
cals to-morrow  morning  —  harbour  neck  and  all. 
We  will  see  whether  they  are  to  prowl  about  way- 
laying my  people  and  shooting  at  my  son.  You 
surely  cannot  countenance  him  in  that." 

"  Certainly  not,  sir,  and  next  to  killing  him  my- 
self in  fair  fight  I  should  best  have  liked  to  see 
Ivor's  musket  drop  him  this  day,  or  to  look  for- 


THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON.  115 

ward  to  Will  Barry  meeting  him  when  he  gets 
well.  But  remember,  sir,  that  if  you  try  that 
harbour  neck  in  the  daylight  —  not  all  the  King's 
ships  can  force  that !  There  are  two  bends  in  it 
and  the  cliffs  are  sheer  up  all  round,  topmast  high. 
That  one  boat's  crew  can  hold  it  against  a  navy. 
I  think  we  had  better  try  it  in  the  night-time ;  not 
to-night,  because  they  will  be  hard  at  it  patching 
their  boat,  and  will  keep  a  keen  watch  beside  for 
fear  of  attack.  You  know  the  old  trick  of  hang- 
ing torches  in  the  neck  —  well,  sir,  they  could 
sink  our  boats  with  boulders  from  the  cliff  tops, 
or  pick  off  the  crews  without  our  so  much  as  get- 
ting a  single  stroke  in  return." 

"  If  I  were  well  so  as  to  go  with  you,  I  could 
tell  of  a  good  plan,"  put  in  Will  Barry. 

"  What  is  that  ?  "  responded  my  father. 

"  I  should  like  to  get  well  first,  sir.  I  believe 
my  plan  would  win,  and  I  want  to  be  the  first  man 
ashore  on  the  island  and  the  first  to  cross  swords 
with  Mister  Morgan.  I  claim  that  right,  first  be- 
cause he  stabbed  me,  but  next  and  most  because 
I  am  chief  of  the  Ap  Morgans  and  lord  of  Ynys 
Galon  now  by  right  of  this  Jewel  till  I  can  stand 
upon  the  cromlech  and  keep  it  against  all  comers." 

"  Yes,  that  is  all  very  fair ;    but  how  long  do 


Il6  THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON. 

you  suppose  he  is  going  to  wait  ?  They  could 
not  carry  any  large  stock  of  provisions  in  that 
over-crowded  boat,  and  the  island  has  nothing  but 
sea-birds,  rabbits,  and  what  fish  may  be  in  the 
harbour.  Now  the  time  for  eggs  is  past ;  they 
dare  not  waste  ammunition  on  rabbits,  and  they 
are  not  likely  to  make  much  by  fishing ;  so  you 
see  they  will  be  up  and  gone  long  before  you  are 
out  and  about,"  said  my  father. 

"  Then  they  will  go  sooner  than  I  look  for,  sir. 
To-morrow  I  shall  be  out  of  bed ;  next  day  down- 
stairs ;  the  third  in  the  garden,  the  fourth  in  the 
wood,  the  fifth  to  Gorphwysfa,  the  sixth  in  Pwll- 
wen.  The  seventh  will  find  me  ready  for  the  boat 
and  the  harbour  neck  —  do  you  think  they  will  be 
gone  before  then,  sir?"  Will's  tone  was  triumphant. 

"  What  is  to  keep  them  there  seven  days  longer  ? 
Whatever  became  of  the  galleon's  cargo,  it  is  not 
on  Ynys  Galon  now,  nor  has  been  at  any  time 
since  it  was  harried.  My  firm  opinion  is  that  the 
galleon  went  to  the  bottom  with  it.  Mister  Mor- 
gan may  believe  different,  but  his  friends  will  soon 
get  tired  of  crawling  about  like  half-drowned  rats 
in  the  caves,  or  grubbing  about  amongst  the 
bushes:  then  they  will  compel  him  to  return,  and 
he  will  get  off  free  for  all  the  harm  he  has  done." 


THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON.  \\f 

"  Do  you  think  then,  sir,  that  he  will  quietly 
submit  to  lose  the  jewel,  getting  nothing  in  re- 
turn, even  revenge  ? "  the  speaker's  nostrils  were 
dilating  at  the  mere  thought  of  any  man  being 
such  a  backboneless  cur. 

"You  forget  that  he  thinks  he  killed  you," 
objected  my  father. 

"  If  he  is  an  Ap  Morgan,  and  cousin  to  me,  he 
would  kill  every  man  in  the  parish  but  what  he 
would  get  back  the  Jewel." 

How  my  own  feelings  applauded  the  scornful 
words  and  tone  of  my  foster-brother  !  I  fear  me 
much  that  we  were  but  three  rank  savages  there, 
confronting  my  father,  for  the  eyes  of  old  Morris 
too  were  gleaming  like  sun-lit  pike-points. 

"  Well,  Will,  we  shall  see ;  but  you  have  not 
told  me  your  plan  and  so  we  will  hark  back  a 
little.  Morris,  what  is  your  plan  ?  I  know  a  man 
like  you  must  have  one." 

"  My  plan,  sir,  is  to  wait  a  night  or  two  till  they 
get  tired  and  discontented.  That  will  mean  a  bad 
watch  and  the  look-out  man  asleep  most  likely. 
Then  we  will  just  sail  in  at  break  of  day  and  take 
our  chance  in  the  ruins  of  Treforgan." 

"  Diaoul !  Morris  !  You  Ap  Morgans  are  ever 
the  same.  '  Luck  and  a  long  sword ! '  that  was 


Il8  THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON. 

ever  your  motto  from  Morgan  Ddu  down.  But  I 
like  to  hear  it  for  all  that ;  it  rouses  my  blood  so. 
None  the  less  I  think  we  ought  to  try  a  little 
stratagem.  Now  my  plan  is,  choose  a  dark  night, 
let  the  boats  be  manned  ;  three  boats  with  five 
men  in  each,  so  that  if  a  boat  be  sunk  the  loss 
will  not  be  too  great  at  once.  Have  one  boat  - 
the  little  skiff,  she  being  so  fast  and  handy  to 
steer  —  with  only  one  man  and  a  keg  of  powder 
aboard. 

"When  we  come  to  the  harbour  entrance,  this 
last  boat  to  go  a  cable's  length  ahead  of  the 
others,  with  a  match  handy  to  a  powder  train. 
When  it  reaches  the  first  bend,  the  man  will 
clap  the  match  to  the  train,  leap  overboard  and 
swim  back.  The  explosion  will  extinguish  every 
torch  in  the  neck,  and  the  other  boats  will  then 
dash  in  and  take  their  chance.  What  do  you  say 
to  that  ? " 

"  Very  clever  indeed,  sir,"  quoth  old  Morris 
approvingly,  "  but  it  depends  so  much  on  so  many 
things.  I  will  go,  of  course,  for  if  the  gunpowder 
boat  does  not  act  all  right  we  can  still  make  the 
dash." 

Will  Barry's  answer  was  an  earnest  appeal  to 
my  father.  "  But  you  will  wait  till  I  am  well,  sir, 


THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON.  119 

will  you  not  ?  I  am  your  kinsman  and  I  have 
served  you  faithfully  —  by  all  the  laws  of  the 
Jewel  you  will  grant  me  this?" 

What  could  my  father  do  but  wring  my  foster- 
brother's  hand  and  swear  that  nothing  should  be 
done  till  he  could  take  his  proper  part  in  it.  And 
I  was  so  fain  to  hear  and  see  both  words  and 
action  that  I  fell  a-shaking  hands  with  old  Mor- 
ris too,  whom  I  could  see  so  well  approved  my 
father's  decision. 

Therefore  it  was  settled  that  a  sharp  look-out 
was  to  be  kept  from  Trwynhir  in  the  day-time 
and  a  watch  in  the  village  at  night  until  the 
wounded  man  should  be  a-foot  once  more.  "  And 
Morris  !  "  concluded  my  father  warmly,  "  let  every 
man  wear  his  weapons  again  as  we  used  to  do. 
This  affair  of  the  pirates  will  serve  us  for  an 
excuse  in  London." 


CHAPTER  X. 

IN   WHICH   I    FIND    A   PIRATE   OF    MY   OWN. 

WHEN  I  went  down  to  the  village  next  day  — 
after  having  first  assisted  to  move  my  foster- 
brother  to  an  armchair,  receiving  a  sharp  scold- 
ing from  the  testy  old  doctor  for  my  clumsiness 
in  the  proceeding  —  I  could  perceive  that  the 
men  went  about  more  jauntily  than  had  been 
their  wont  for  a  year  or  two  past.  From  which 
I  argued  that  they  had  felt  the  deprivation  of 
their  right  to  wear  weapons  more  keenly  than  an 
outsider  could  have  supposed.  Not  that  they  had 
ever  heeded  that  order  saving  when  quietly  resting 
in  Pwllwen  betwixt  the  rushes  of  their  business 
as  free-traders.  They  had  not  been  used  to  parad- 
ing their  weapons  when  at  home,  but  the  fact  that 
the  Ministers  had  issued  an  order  prohibiting  such 
doings  was  looked  upon  as  an  act  of  dire  oppres- 
sion and  resented  as  such.  Hence  the  satisfaction 
of  Pwllwen  to-day. 

Since   yesterday   my   own   walking   sword   had 


THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON.  121 

been  exchanged  for  a  goodly  one  of  manful  weight 
and  length,  and  perhaps  amid  the  general  show 
I  did  keep  my  left  hand  very  prominently  resting 
upon  the  hilt,  taking,  as  it  may  be,  less  conceit  in 
my  gold-headed  walking  cane  than  before  I  buckled 
on  so  pretty  a  weapon. 

Something  of  the  same  feeling  it  was,  I  do 
not  doubt,  which  made  me  greet  with  condescend- 
ing affability  the  tenant  folk  I  met  in  the  street, 
reserving  a.  warmer  and  a  bluffer  salutation  for 
those  of  the  old  island  blood.  With  old  Morris 
I  shook  hands  fairly,  silently  claiming  thereby  to 
rank  as  a  man  in  virtue  of  our  having  shared  no 
small  danger  together. 

Thereafter,  chary  of  words  as  befitted  the 
gravity  of  veterans,  we  exchanged  comments  upon 
our  hopes  with  regard  to  the  pirates,  and  I  fell 
a-cocking  of  my  eye  at  sea  and  sky  to  note  the 
signs  of  weather;  upon  which  point  I  presently 
delivered  my  opinion,  being  greatly  pleased  to 
find  old  Morris  receive  and  discuss  it  as  briefly 
as  if  it  had  been  that  of  Rowland  Hir  or  Dick 
Shon  or  any  other  of  his  kinsmen. 

Four  days  passed  thus,  and  already  my  foster- 
brother's  splendid  constitution  had  so  far  out- 
stripped his  expectations  and  dumbfounded  the 


122  THE  JEWEL  OF  YNYS  GALON. 

doctor  that  he  had  managed  to  stroll  languidly 
into  Pwllwen,  with  my  shoulder  to  aid  him,  when 
there  occurred  a  thing  that  was  a  great  blow  at 
first  to  me.  We  two  were  sitting  upon  an  up- 
turned boat,  in  company  with  old  Morris,  when 
word  came  from  the  look-out  on  Trwynhir  that 
the  pirate  boat  had  left  Ynys  Galon  and  was 
standing  away  to  the  southwest. 

Old  Morris  looked  at  Will  questioningly. 

"  Ah,  he  will  come  back  again.  He  is  only  go- 
ing for  more  provisions  or  more  men,"  said  my 
foster-brother. 

"I  think  so,  too,"  endorsed  the  other.  "All  the 
same  I  will  just  put  off  in  Dolgoch's  long  boat  and 
see  whether  he  is  fairly  leaving  or  not." 

"  I  am  also  going,"  quoth  I  decidedly.  As  for 
Will  Barry,  he  simply  rose  and  strode,  with  a  foot 
so  steady  as  to  surprise  me,  over  to  where  the  long 
boat  lay,  just  awash,  and  sat  down  in  her. 

Old  Morris  nodded  his  head  approvingly  as  he 
called  for  four  men  to  jump  in  with  us. 

But  though  the  long  boat,  even  with  its  load  of 
men  and  carrying  the  pirates'  brass  gun,  was,  if 
anything,  faster  than  the  skiff ;  yet  we  could  not 
come  up  with  the  flying  craft,  whose  long  start  en- 
abled her  to  keep  so  far  ahead  that  night  would  be 


THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON.  123 

upon  us  before  we  could  fetch  up  with  her.  See- 
ing that  she  would  then  escape  in  the  darkness,  we 
desisted  from  the  pursuit ;  I  with  my  mind  quite 
comfortable,  however,  since  I  had  sent  a  message 
to  my  father,  explaining  the  need  for  haste  before 
we  set  sail.  As  for  Mister  Morgan,  I  believed,  as 
firmly  as  my  foster-brother  himself,  that  we  should 
meet  with  him  again,  and  in  so  stern  a  posture  as 
would  make  the  encounter  a  thingtobe  remembered. 

As  we  stood  back  for  home  it  did  me  good  to  see 
the  colour  so  strongly  set  in  Will's  cheeks,  and  I 
had  no  fear  now  but  that  he  would  be  ready  and 
fit  to  take  his  part,  when  the  time  should  come  for 
settling  with  his  cousin. 

After  dinner  that  evening  there  was  another 
council  in  the  library  at  home,  but  just  as  short 
this  time  as  the  other  was  long.  In  fact,  it  pretty 
well  consisted  of  a  single  dictum  from  old  Las. 

"It  is  this  way,  sir.  That  boat  stood  down  to 
the  southwest  just  to  throw  us  off  the  track. 
Where  would  they  be  going  to  that  way?  For 
Cornwall,  or  to  veer  round  for  Ireland  ?  Big  and 
ugly  as  it  was,  it  is  no  deep-sea-craft !  No  !  they 
went  on  that  tack  so  we  could  not  overhaul  them  ; 
then  when  they  were  clear  away  they  would  put 
about  for  Bristol." 


124  THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON. 

"  In  that  case  we  are  rid  of  them  for  awhile,  at 
any  rate,"  said  my  father. 

"Well,  long  enough  to  suit  me  and  the  lads. 
We  have  a  bit  of  a  job  on  that  will  need  us  to  put 
out  with  the  lugger  for  a  few  days,"  replied  old 
Las,  with  a  particularly  wooden  look  all  round. 

My  father  laughed.  "  Good  luck  to  the  lugger, 
Morris.  Here !  try  a  sample  of  the  cargo  that 
never  shows  in  her  manifest  though  it  wallows  in 
her  hold,"  and  he  ladled  out  another  huge  jorum 
of  punch  for  that  wily  old  pigtail. 

At  that  the  conversation  became  general,  and 
after  a  few  moments  came  to  an  end,  as  old  Morris 
rose  to  take  his  leave.  Next  morning  when  I  went 
into  Pwllwen  I  was  not  surprised  to  find  that  he 
was  gone,  taking  with  him  in  the  lugger  a  double 
crew  of  the  stoutest  fellows  in  the  village,  and  leav- 
ing behind  in  special  command  as  Will's  lieutenant, 
Dick  Shon  —  worthy  of  the  trust,  as  you  shall  see. 
It  would  appear  that  the  present  enterprise  was 
more  than  usually  dangerous. 

So  the  days  passed  without  incident,  saving  that 
I  held  for  incidents  each  new  proof  of  my  foster- 
brother's  return  to  health  and  strength  ;  keeping 
the  fact  secret  from  him,  however,  who  had  all  a 
strong  man's  dislike  to  being  considered  an  invalid. 


THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON.  125 

Yet  so  happy  was  I  to  see  him  mend  that  I  almost 
fell  to  loving  the  old  doctor  as  having  brought  the 
matter  out  thus  way  by  his  great  skill.  But  when 
I  hinted  as  much  to  him  while  we  were  walking  in 
the  garden,  he  first  snorted,  and  then,  tapping  his 
cane  upon  the  box,  took  a  double  pinch  of  snuff  to 
emphasise  his  dictum  as  he  delivered  it.  "  Young 
gentleman,  it  is  not  pills  and  potions  that  cure  a 
man  like  that.  It  is  years  of  free  air,  plain  food 
and  active  regular  living.  Think  of  that  some  day 
when  the  gout  puts  the  screw  on  you  and  you 
wonder  what  is  the  good  of  living.  No,  sir,  a  man 
who  is  only  helped  by  doctor's  stuff  is  a  very  poor 
creature  indeed.  Give  me  the  man  I  have  to  draw 
blood  from  every  now  and  again  —  that  is  the  man 
at  a  push." 

Then  he  extended  the  box,  and  we  each  took  a 
pinch  in  due  gravity  at  such  a  pronouncement. 

The  seventh  day  from  the  affair  of  the  pirates 
passed  without  any  return  of  Mister  Morgan,  and  I 
began  to  be  secretly  excited,  deeming  that  another 
encounter  with  him  must  by  this  time  be  very  near. 
Now  it  is  my  habit  upon  retiring  at  night  to  fall 
asleep  as  soon  as  I  am  well  laid  down,  but  on  this 
night  I  lay  awake  for  a  full  five  minutes,  turning 
over  an  idea  which  had  struck  me  as  I  entered  the 


126  THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON. 

room.  Only  once  had  I  ever  set  foot  on  the  island, 
and  that  was  years  ago  in  company  with  Will 
Barry.  Racking  my  memory  upon  the  point,  I 
found  that  it  held  so  faint  a  recollection  of  the 
topography  of  the  place,  that  I  felt  I  should  be  at 
some  loss  in  the  matter  did  we  have  to  make  a 
night  attack,  as  had  seemed  to  be  foreshadowed  in 
that  first  council.  How  could  I  take  that  promi- 
nent part  in  the  battle  which  my  glowing  imagina- 
tion had  already  pictured  forth,  if  I  should  have  to 
submit  to  be  directed  by  some  other  one  who  should 
assume  command  of  me  merely  by  right  of  local 
knowledge  ?  Clearly  such  a  fate  ;  such  a  shock  to 
my  pride  ;  such  a  blow  to  my  ambitions  ;  must  be 
avoided  at  all  costs.  To-morrow  I  would  take  the 
skiff  and  put  out  alone  for  the  island,  to  polish  up 
my  cloudy  recollection  of  its  main  features ;  more 
especially  with  regard  to  the  harbour  entrance. 
Having  come  to  which  bold  resolution,  I  fell  asleep, 
my  conscience  being  as  peaceful  as  my  stomach 
was  strong. 

Next  morning,  accordingly,  I  sauntered  casually 
down  to  the  beach,  having  said  nothing  to  any  one 
at  home  concerning  my  intentions.  I  carried  my 
great  musket  with  me  and  had  of  course  my  long 
sword  and  a  brace  of  pistols  to  my  belt ;  the  whole 


THE  JEWEL   OF  YtfYS  GALON,  127 

armoury  making  me  feel  a  match  for  half  a  dozen 
pirates  with  Mister  Morgan  at  their  head.  On  the 
way  I  stopped  at  the  Black  Lion  to  request  Evan 
Landlord  to  send  down  a  supply  of  eatables  and 
drinkables,  sufficient  to  stay  my  stomach  upon 
while  I  should  be  gone,  and  then  passed  on  to 
get  the  skiff  afloat. 

Dick  Shon  was  lounging  upon  the  beach,  as  was 
proper  considering  his  position  in  the  absence  of 
old  Morris,  and  he  gave  the  order  to  the  others  to 
push  the  boat  into  the  water.  Of  course  he  could 
not  leave  his  charge  to  accompany  me,  but  he 
pressed  me  to  take  Evan  Pendre  and  Howell 
Pritchard  instead,  saying  that  some  one  ought  to  go 
with  me.  Now  I  had  no  mind  to  share  my  pro- 
spective glory  with  any  one,  therefore  I  simulated 
a  fine  show  of  indignation,  with  the  result  that  I 
gained  my  point,  though  I  could  see  my  faithful 
friends  were  loth  to  let  me  set  sail  unaccompanied. 

The  day  was  beautiful.  Up  from  the  south  a 
little  breeze  ruffled  and  teased  the  water,  casting 
up  baby  seas  that  made  the  trim  little  skiff  curtsey 
like  the  maidens  at  a  dance,  while  the  soft  white 
fleeces  above  only  made  the  sky  look  fairer.  The 
glint  of  the  brave  sun  upon  the  creamy  foam 
wreaths  turned  them  into  banks  and  ropes  of 


128  THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON. 

gems,  of  a  colour  and  sparkle  such  as  would  have 
shamed  the  jewel  casket  of  the  proudest  lady  in 
the  land.  How  gloriously  did  they  sheen  and 
flash,  crowning  each  wavelet  as  it  rose  with  match- 
less coruscations,  set  so  altogether  lovely  in  the 
seas,  which  shaded  from  ice-green  darker  and 
clearer  to  the  deep  azure  of  the  little  hollows  be- 
tween. There  is  no  part  of  the  land  which  can 
rouse  the  blood  and  intoxicate  the  brain  as  the 
deep  sea  in  its  loveliness  can  do.  As  I  passed  the 
vision-barring  bulk  of  Trwynhir  I  cast  my  eyes 
eagerly  ahead  to  the  goal  of  my  voyage.  Fair  and 
still  it  lay  beyond,  wooed  by  the  laughing  kisses  of 
this  summer  sea  and  smiling  at  the  caress  of  the 
soft  whispering  breeze.  The  dark  front  of  its  hor- 
rid cliffs  was  silvered  by  a  soft  haze,  and  now 
showed  deceitfully  tender  and  beautiful  of  aspect. 
Above  their  line  the  dying  gold  of  the  gorses 
swathed  its  swells  with  ambient  flame,  in  sweet 
contrast  to  the  dim  purple  of  the  newly  opened 
heather.  Here  and  there  swept  reaches  of  the 
deep  bracken,  and  in  the  little  ravines  nestled 
bosky  bush  and  graceful  birch  thicket,  filling  the 
picture  with  gentle  suggestion  of  shady  rest  and 
peace  —  so  fair  an  isle  that  seemed  then,  for  all  so 
foul  with  blood  as  it  had  been  and  was  to  be  again. 


THE  JEWEL  OF  YNYS  GALON.  129 

But  now  I  roused  me  from  my  musing,  for  I 
was  come  within  reach  of  the  harbour  neck.  I 
knew  its  general  course,  with  the  sudden  turn  to 
the  left,  the  bend  to  the  right  and  yet  again  to  the 
left,  with  the  remaining  score  of  boat's  lengths 
fully  open  and  exposed  to  the  fire  of  any  defenders 
who  might  be  manning  the  massive  walls  of  the 
ruined  town  within. 

I  felt  that  to  negotiate  it  safely  would  require 
no  little  nicety  of  handling,  but  I  plucked  up  a 
bold  heart  and  steered  for  the  opening.  All  went 
well  for  the  first  score  or  so  of  lengths,  and  then 
I  swung  the  tiller  for  the  rounding  of  the  first 
bend.  At  the  turn  I  met  so  ragged  a  gust  as 
almost  jerked  the  sheet  loose  from  my  grasp,  and 
I  was  fain  to  drop  the  sail  at  once,  so  violently  did 
the  little  cockleshell  of  a  craft  rock  beneath  me. 
I  saw  at  once  that  I  must  buckle  me  to  work  if  I 
would  win  through  safely,  and  without  more  ado 
I  thrust  out  the  pair  of  oars  and  bent  my  back  to 
rowing.  Then  round  the  next  bend  and  to  the 
left  again ;  but  here  a  feeling  that  there  might  be 
pirates  within  became  so  strong, that  I  changed 
my  position  and  rowed  face  ahead,  for  I  felt  a 
mortal  dread  of  being  shot  in  the  back. 

When   at   last,   the   musket   handy   across   my 


130  THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON. 

knees,  I  swung  round  into  the  final  stretch  that 
slanted  away  from  the  starboard  bow  of  the  skiff 
at  the  turn,  I  felt  a  huge  relief  at  seeing  the  ruins 
of  Treforgan,  so  entirely  lonely  and  deserted  they 
appeared  to  be.  In  the  easing  of  my  apprehen- 
sions my  mind  went  back  with  a  bound  to  study 
the  impregnability  of  the  neck  I  had  just  passed. 
So  narrow  indeed  was  it  for  the  more  part  that  I 
wondered  how  the  Ap  Morgans  had  ever  warped 
"Nuada's  Fleshhook  "  through.  In  my  amazement 
at  the  recollection  I  made,  a  mental  joke,  and  de- 
cided that  they  must  have  greased  her  well  down 
from  stem  to  stern  and  so  slipped  her  through. 
The  cliffs  on  either  hand  rose  smooth  and  straight 
for  forty  or  fifty  feet,  and  absolutely  destitute  of 
crack  or  crevice  to  afford  hand  or  foothold  for 
man.  Add  to  this  the  bends  in  its  two  or  three 
hundred  yards  of  length,  and  it  was  easy  to  under- 
stand old  Morris'  respect  for  its  dangers  when  de- 
fended by  a  boat's  crew  of  resolute  men. 

But  now  I  was  gliding  over  the  placid  bosom  of 
a  little  oval  sheet  of  rock-girt  water  some  two  or 
three  acres  in  extent,  fed  by  the  silver  tinkling  of 
a  little  rill  emerging  from  the  mouth  of  a  narrow 
glyn  straight  ahead.  I  did  not  long  allow  my  gaze 
to  wander,  though ;  my  interest  was  too  curiously 


THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON.  131 

taken  with  the  roofless  town  on  the  right  bank. 
The  shore  there  was  a  perpendicular  face  of  rock, 
where  the  scanty  plain  on  which  the  houses  stood 
appeared  as  if  suddenly  broken  off,  thus  forming  a 
natural  quay  stretching  the  whole  length  of  that 
side.  Two-thirds  of  the  way  along  it  a  rude  stair- 
way had  been  blasted  out,  just  wide  enough  for 
one  man  to  pass  at  a  time,  and  thither  accordingly 
I  pulled. 

Making  the  painter  fast  to  a  ring,  rusted  half 
away,  I  loosed  my  sword  in  the  scabbard,  hitched 
my  pistols  handier  to  the  front,  and  then,  resuming 
my  grip  behind  the  lock  of  the  musket,  climbed 
boldly  upward  in  the  confidence  born  of  so  for- 
midable an  armoury.  Arrived  at  the  stairhead,  I 
darted  a  glance  amongst  the  ruins,  but  no  foe  was 
to  be  seen.  The  houses  stood  back  in  an  irregular 
cluster,  seemingly  designed  to  hold  several  gener- 
ations and  branches  of  a  family  in  each,  so  roomy 
did  they  appear  at  that  distance.  One  house,  how- 
ever, larger  than  all  the  rest,  stood  well  out  and 
forward,  within  a  few  paces  of  the  shore,  and  I 
knew  it  at  once  for  Ty  Mawr,  the  house  in  which 
the  old  chiefs  had  lived  from  first  to  last.  I  knew 
also  the  interior  of  it  and  what  its  arrangement 
was,  from  the  tales  and  ballads  concerning  the 


132  THE  JEWEL  OF  YJVYS  GALON. 

stark  men  who  had  dwelt  therein  in  the  days  gone 
by.  Its  two  great  rooms,  —  the  first  a  kitchen  or 
common  hall,  and  the  inner  or  right  hand  one  held 
more  private  to  the  family  of  its  lord. 

Nevertheless  I  gave  a  little  start  as  I  noticed 
that  it  had  been  rudely  roofed  anew  with  a  thatch 
of  weeds  and  brushwood,  though  I  remembered 
instantly  that,  of  course,  the  pirates  here  so  lately 
would  naturally  require  the  shelter  which  they 
had  thus  obtained.  The  great  square  house 
looked  fit  indeed  to  shelter  such  a  crew.  There 
was  a  yawning  doorway  with  charred  posts  a  little 
to  the  left  of  the  centre  of  its  front,  and  this,  with 
the  two  narrow  window  slits  on  either  side  of  it, 
one  lighting  each  of  the  rooms,  were,  as  I  knew, 
the  only  openings  in  those  four  grim  walls.  With 
cocked  gun  I  stole  cautiously  up  and  peered 
through  the  nearest  slit.  I  could  see  nothing  in 
that  dim  gap,  however,  and  so  perforce  I  passed 
on  to  the  doorway  and  entered.  I  found  myself 
in  a  large  room  with  a  fireplace  extending  almost 
the  whole  length  of  the  left  side  of  it,  and  showing 
many  signs  of  having  been  recently  occupied,  and 
that  by  a  most  sluttish  set  of  housekeepers. 

The  hearth  was  piled  with  ashes  and  faggot 
ends,  a  rusty  iron  pot  hung  over  it,  foul  with  some 


THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON.  133 

sort  of  pottage  gone  bad,  and  giving  forth  a  most 
villainous  stink.  Everywhere  were  scraps  of 
broken  victuals,  and  in  one  corner  an  empty  rum- 
keg  staved  in  and  useless. 

Upon  my  right,  beyond,  and  next  to  the  back 
wall  of  the  house,  I  discerned  the  doorway  leading 
through  the  dividing  wall  into  the  inner  room. 
Striding  boldly  over  to  that,  I  made  to  enter  at 
once,  but  in  the  dimness  of  its  shadow  I  stumbled 
over  the  threshold  and  fell  headlong  through. 
Even  as  I  fell  there  gleamed  a  flash  from  the 
corner  to  the  right  and  a  shot  rang  out,  the  bullet 
flattening  itself  on  the  wall  exactly  in  a  line  to 
have  passed  through  my  body  had  I  remained 
upright.  The  musket  dropped  from  my  hands 
as  I  fell,  but  at  the  report  I  leaped  to  my  feet  and 
sprang  back  through  the  doorway  as  swiftly  as 
I  could  fetch.  Fast  as  I  was,  I  was  yet  not  fast 
enough  to  come  clean  off,  for  a  second  report 
deafened  the  echoes  of  the  room,  and  this  time 
the  bullet  gave  me  a  nasty  furrow  through  the 
muscles  just  behind  the  left  armpit  as  I  slightly 
turned  in  going.  , 

Once  in  the  other  room  I  faced  about  and, 
whipping  sword  and  pistol,  stood  to  consider 
what  next. 


CHAPTER   XI. 

CONCERNING    MY    PIRATE. 

I  WAS  ashamed  to  run  away,  not  to  reckon  the 
danger  of  being  bagged  from  the  window  before  I 
could  reach  the  stairhead.  The  thought  of  this 
last  caused  me  to  wonder  why  I  had  not  been 
potted  on  my  advancing  to  the  house,  but  the 
pain  of  the  bullet  tear  prevented  my  puzzling 
long,  so  savage  did  it  make  me.  Further,  in  the 
glance  I  had  cast  round  as  I  rose  from  my  fall  I 
had  seen  only  two  forms  of  men  plainly,  though 
the  shadows  were  deep  enough  for  a  whole  crew 
to  lurk  in.  As  I  have  said,  the  walls  of  the  house 
were  unpierced  by  any  opening  saving  the  door 
and  two  windows  to  the  front.  If,  then,  the 
kitchen  were  gloomy,  having  a  great  doorway  in 
addition  to  its  straight  window,  what  was  to  be 
said  of  the  inner  room,  with  one  window  gap  alone 
to  shoot  its  single  pale  shaft  of  light  across  the 
murk.  Therefore  I  could  not  be  sure  of  meeting 
only  two  inside,  or  I  would  have  boldly  rushed  in 


THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON.  135 

to  the  attack.  The  one  who  had  fired  first  at  me 
was  lying  in  the  right-hand  corner  of  the  room,  at 
the  window  end  and  next  the  dividing  wall,  the 
other  lay  in  the  opposite  corner. 

From  where  I  now  stood  I  could  see  my  mus- 
ket on  the  floor  beyond,  and  bitterly  did  I  regret 
having  dropped  it  in  trying  to  save  myself  from 
falling.  I  was  screwing  up  my  courage  to  make  a 
dash  and  regain  it,  when  a  stealthy  noise  from  the 
room  inside  caused  me  to  catch  my  breath  and 
listen.  It  was  a  shuffling  sound  as  of  a  limp  body 
dragged  by  some  noiseless  ghoul  over  the  worn 
flags  towards  the  doorway.  An  eerie  dread  crept 
along  my  spine  as  I  stood  hearkening,  like  as 
when  some  one  walks  over  a  man's  future  grave, 
and  I  felt  my  courage  sinking. 

A  stifled  gasp,  that  was  both  groan  and  curse, 
from  the  shuffling  horror  within  saved  me,  however, 
for  at  the  sound  I  knew  that  those  inside  were 
merely  human  and  not  dead  figures  mocking  life 
or  vampires  of  the  darkness.  Instantly  with  that 
I  choked  back  a  sigh  of  relief  as  I  decided  that 
the  shooter  was  either  attempting  to  steal  uppn 
me  unawares  or  intending  to  possess  himself  of 
the  gun.  In  either  case  I  would  have  a  bout 
with  him. 


136  THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON. 

I  stood  upon  the  spring  as  when  poised  to  catch 
the  first  grip  in  wrestling ;  in  my  left  hand  a  pistol 
a-cock,  and  in  my  right  the  sword  I  hoped  to 
prove. 

Slowly  the  one  inside  drew  near,  keeping,  as  I 
afterwards  found,  close  to  the  division  wall  until 
he  came  opposite  the  gun,  where  he  turned  and 
flung  himself  with  outstretched  hand  to  seize  it. 

Springing  through  with  a  mighty  shout,  I  aimed 
a  terrific  down  stroke  at  his  head,  putting  the 
whole  weight  of  my  body  into  the  cut.  Swift  as 
I  moved,  he  was  yet  swifter  in  whirling  his  body 
backward  and  so  avoiding  the  sword,  which  thus 
struck  the  stones  and  shivered  its  blade  to  frag- 
ments. Ere  he  could  raise  the  musket  he  had 
seized,  however,  I  had  dropped  my  hilt  and  gripped 
the  barrel,  while  with  the  pistol  I  hammered  him 
over  the  head. 

At  the  first  blow  he  loosed  the  gun  and  seized 
me  by  the  throat  with  one  hand,  while  with  the 
other  he  attempted  to  draw  a  huge  knife.  At  the 
second  his  jaws  clicked  together  and  his  fingers 
slacked  —  the  third  stretched  him  utterly  senseless. 

Instantly  with  that  I  snatched  up  the  musket 
and  took  aim  at  where  I  could  dimly  discern  the 
form  of  the  second  man.  Something  in  the  atti- 


THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON.  137 

tudeof.that,  however,  stayed  my  finger  even  while 
it  was  closing  upon  the  trigger ;  and,  lowering  my 
piece  once  more  to  the  ready,  I  strode  warily  over 
towards  the  object.  It  was  a  dead  man,  and  the 
dropped  jaw  and  staring  eyes  were  hideous  to  be- 
hold in  the  lurking  shadows.  Shuddering  with  a 
disgust  I  could  not  repress,  I  turned  to  retrace  my 
steps  to  the  one  who  might  be  still  alive.  As  I 
did  so,  it  struck  me  as  being  strange  that  he  had 
made  no  attempt  to  gain  his  feet  when  I  attacked 
him. 

He  showed  no  signs  of  returning  conscious- 
ness, not  even  when,  taking  him  under  the  arms, 
I  dragged  him  back  again  to  the  rude  pallet  of 
heather  from  whence  he  had  discharged  his  pis- 
tols at  me.  Doing  this  I  noticed  that  one  of  his 
legs  followed  in  a  very  queer  fashion,  and,  looking 
closer,  I  found  that  it  was  bound  clumsily  round 
with  a  kerchief  such  as  seamen  wear.  This  was 
stiff  with  dried  blood  and  showed  why  the  fellow 
had  crawled  instead  of  walking.  Laying  him 
down  full  length,  I  bunched  the  heather  into  a 
pillow  so  as  to  raise  his  head  well  up,  and  then 
from  my  pocket  drew  the  flask  of  Evan  Landlord's 
brandy  and  poured  a  goodly  draught  down  his 
throat. 


138  THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON. 

That  fetched  him  to.  He  opened  his  eyes  very 
slowly  at  first,  and  I  had  time  to  notice  the  wolfish 
glare  of  them  and  how  sunken  and  cadaverous  his 
whole  features  were,  with  the  stubble  of  half  a 
month's  beard  bristling  up  through  the  blood  now 
trickling  freely  from  his  head.  As  soon  as  his  wits 
gathered  he  fixed  a  dull  stare  on  my  face,  and  then, 
not  shifting  his  eye,  like  a  flash  made  a  dart  for  his 
knife. 

But  I  was  ready  for  that,  and,  savage  at  his 
ingratitude,  I  caught  his  wrist  to  the  floor,  drop- 
ping with  both  knees  upon  the  muscle  of  his 
stretched  arm,  completely  numbing  it.  Even  as 
I  did  it  my  heart  smote  me  for  my  cruelty,  and 
I  could  have  fallen  a-cursing  like  a  tavern  ruffler 
for  very  shame  and  sorrow  at  my  weakness.  With 
vicious  energy  I  flung  his  knife  across  the  room 
and,  with  a  bitter  rage  of  self-contempt  surging  in 
my  ears,  I  snatched  a  pistol  from  my  belt.  Seizing 
his  other  wrist  —  "  You  bloody  villain  !  "  I  shouted, 
"I  have  a  great  mind  to  -beat  your  head  to  jelly 
with  this ! " 

To  my  surprise  the  fellow  remained  passive,  only 
making  effort  to  say,  "  I  wonder  what  the  young 
fool  means  in  that  lingo  of  his  ? " 

Then    I    remembered  that  he  possibly  did  not 


THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON.  139 

understand  Welsh,  and  so  repeated  my  words  in 
English. 

"  Oh,  you  have,  have  you  ? "  replied  he  coolly. 
"Well,  sonny,  you  can  take  your  choice  :  either 
beat  me  to  death  right  off  or  get  me  something  to 
eat.  And  there's  a  taste  of  brandy  in  my  mouth 
-  I'd  like  another  go  at  that  too.  Sonny,  I'm 
nigh  famished  an'  when  you  come  in  I  was  just 
a-making  up  my  mind  to  take  a  slice  off  that," 
and  he  nodded  over  to  the  corpse  in  the  opposite 
corner. 

I  shrank  away  from  him  in  horror,  but  the  hun- 
ger in  his  face  bore  out  his  words  so  plainly,  that  I 
lugged  immediately  the  roll  of  beef  and  bread  from 
my  coat-pocket  and  handed  it  to  him.  He  fell 
upon  it  just  as  a  starved  dog  might  do,  crowding 
it  so  fiercely  between  his  jaws  that  he  began  to 
choke.  Seeing  that,  I  tore  away  the  remainder 
from  his  clutch,  narrowly  escaping  being  bitten  in 
the  doing  of  it.  Thereafter  I  fed  it  to  him  in 
small  quantities,  and  half-way  through  gave  him  a 
stout  pull  at  my  flask,  noticing  as  I  did  so,  that 
he  took  down  the  raw  spirit  without  winking  an 
eyelid. 

When  all  the  roll  was  gone,  topped  off  by  another 
drink,  and  he  could  not  find  another  crumb,  even 


140  THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON. 

in  the  heather  of  his  pallet,  he  lay  back  with  a 
deep  sigh  of  satisfaction  and  tried  to  smile.  "  You 
haven't  such  a  thing  as  a  pipe  and  a  bit  of  'bacca 
about  you,  eh,  squire  ? " 

"  I'm  not  squire,"  said  I ;  "  my  father  is  the 
squire,  as  you  call  it  in  English.  I  am  sorry  to 
say  that  I  have  no  tobacco  or  pipe,  as  I  do  not  yet 
use  them,  not  being  old  enough." 

He  smiled  very  broadly  at  that,  nettling  me  so. 
thereby  that  I  sharply  demanded  of  him  who  he 
was   and   what   he  was   doing   here.     Further,   I 
required  to  know  why  he  shot  me. 

"  You  are  inquisitive,"  replied  he,  with  a  leer  and 
laying  great  stress  on  the  second  word.  "Now 
what  should  you  say,  young  squire,  if  I  told  you  as 
I  was  a  gentleman  and  was  just  a-lyin'  down  for  a 
quiet  snooze  in  my  own  bed  when  a  stranger  comes 
a-marchin'  in  without  fust  a-givin'  his  name  for  the 
servant  to  announce  him.  O'  course  then  I  ups 
and  blazes  away  at  him  for  a  murderin'  thief  and 
being  so  onmannerly  to  a  gentleman." 

"  I  should  say  you  were  a  thundering  liar,  and  I 
should  say,  too,  that  this  island  belongs  to  my 
father,  and  you  will  very  soon  find  yourself  laid 
by  the  heels  to  answer  to  him  for  being  here," 
retorted  I. 


THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON.  141 

"And  I  should  say  that  this  island  belongs  to 
my  captain,  and  you  will  very  soon  find  yourself 
hung  by  the  heels  over  a  slow  fire  to  pay  for  your 
being  here,"  mimicked  he. 

"  My  father  owns  this  island,"  snorted  I. 

"And  Dew  says  he  owns  it,"  stuck  in  the  pirate. 

"Who  is  Dew?"  demanded  I  fiercely. 

"Oh,  a  gentleman  friend  o'  mine,"  grinned  he. 

"  Well !  "  cried  I  triumphantly,  "  I  am  going  to 
tie  you  up  now  and  carry  you  over  to  Pwllwen. 
My  father  will  see  to  hanging  you  out  of  hand  if 
the  children  don't  drown  you  in  the  pool  first."  I 
was  loosing  my  now  useless  sword-belt  as  I  spoke, 
intending  to  bind  his  arms  with  it,  but  at  the  sight 
of  that  he  wilted,  seeming  to  be  taken  all  aback 
for  a  minute  or  two.  Presently,  however,  he  tried 
another  tack.  "  Would  you  take  a  man  over  and 
get  him  hung  ?  a  man  as  couldn't  help  himself :  a 
man  as  you  first  beat  about  with  a  pistol  and  then 
fed  with  your  dinner  and  your  own  flask.  And  a 
fine  young  gentleman  like  you,  too !  By  gum,  but 
you're  a  rum  un,  you  are  !  " 

"  Why  did  you  shoot  at  me  ? "  -persisted  I. 

"Because   I  was  afeared  you'd  shoot  me  if  I 
didn't  drop  you  fust,"  replied  he  deprecatingly. 
"  Very  well,  then ;   you  had  your  chance  and 


142  THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON. 

missed.  Now  it's  my  turn,  and  I'm  going  to  hit ; 
there's  not  much  fear  of  missing  when  you  shoot 
with  a  noose."  I  laughed  at  the  jest  as  I  said  it  — 
I  think  the  grim  blight  of  the  place  was  turning 
me  into  as  foul  a  villain  as  the  one  before  me. 

Yet  it  must  not  be  supposed  that  I  felt  as  cruel 
as  my  words  in  reality.  Deep  down  I  was  so  peni- 
tent for  my  roughness  to  this  wounded  man  that 
I  was  in  danger  of  being  too  tender  with  him,  and, 
therefore,  I  was  on  my  guard  against  what  I  con- 
sidered my  weakness.  Perhaps  he  read  my  feel- 
ings ;  at  any  rate  he  said,  suddenly,  "  Look  a-here, 
my  lad :  now  I'll  put  it  to  you  fair  an'  square. 
You  say  your  father  is  squire  over  yonder  at  Pvvll- 
wen ;  now  if  that's  so,  I've  got  that  to  say  as  '11 
make  us  all  good  friends  together.  I  suppose 
you've  got  a  pretty  good  notion  of  what  I  am  ?  " 

"That  I  have,"  retorted  I  readily.  "You  are 
one  of  those  villainous  pirates  belonging  to  Mister 
Morgan,  who  is  son  to  Megan  Rhys,  who  ran  away 
with  Ulloth  from  this  island  years  before  I  was 
born." 

"  Oh,  that  much  was  true  then,  was  it ! "  solilo- 
quised the  fellow.  Then  continuing  in  his  proper 
voice  — "  You  are  right  there,  sonny,  I  am,  or 
rather  you're  wrong,  for  I  ain't.  I  was,  though, 


THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON.  143 

till  after  that  blessed  day  you  drawed  us  so  nicely 
on  to  them  blasted  rocks  out  there.  Oh,  that  was 
neat !  stove  me  for'ard,  that  was  neat !  I  know  it 
was  you :  I  seen  you  as  you  was  a-risin'  to  shoot 
when  you  filled  half  our  boat's  crew  as  full  of  shot 
as  if  they  was  sparrows  in  the  corn.  Ho  !  ho ! " 
and  the  ghastly  scoundrel  wiped  the  blood  from  his 
stubbly  jaws  as  they  stretched  in  unholy  mirth. 

"But  I  didn't  do  this,"  said  I  in  some  concern, 
touching  the  blackened  bandage  on  his  leg. 

"That  you  didn't,  sonny  ;  or  else  I  shouldn't  be 
a-proposin'  of  this  'ere  treaty.  It's  along  o'  that 
I'm  talking  now.  That  'ere's  the  mark  of  old 
Dew ;  the  one  I  called  Cap'n  just  now,  an'  the  one 
I  reckon  you  mean  by  '  Mister  Morgan.' " 

"  Oh  !  "  was  my  mystified  comment. 

"Now  I  reckon,  young  gentleman,"  he  went  on, 
"as  you're  the  brisk  young  spark  as  interfered 
when  old  Dew  took  Joe  Corse  and  Batney  and 
Loco  along  with  him  to  look  for  the  'Jack.'  " 

"  What's  that  ? " 

"  The  '  Jack '  !  the  charm  his  mother  gave  him. 
He  lost  it  up  in  your  woods."  , 

"You  mean  the  Jewel." 

"Aye,  that's  it,  I  reckon.  Jack  or  Jewel,  it's 
all  one,  anyhow.  Well,  he  lost  it  cruisin'  about  in 


144          THE  JEWEL  OF  YNYS  GALON. 

your  mud-shovelling  place  over  there,  an'  he  comes 
back  to  Bristol  where  we  was  enjoying  ourselves, 
an'  he  was  all  swelled  and  sore  and  beaten  black 
an'  blue.  Then  he  slaps  a  crew  aboard  an  old  tub 
of  a  boat  an'  we  sails  up  here  an'  he  takes  Joe 
Corse  an'  Batney  an'  Loco,  as  I  said,  an'  all  four 
comes  back  swelled  an'  sore  an'  beaten  black  an' 
blue  as  before  —  all  along  of  a  lackey  an'  a  boy, 
by  gum." 

"  Will  Barry  is  no  lackey ;  he  is  a  gentleman  : 
my  kinsman,  and  lord  of  this  island  under  my 
father  now,"  cried  I  hotly.  "  Moreover,  he  could 
hammer  the  whole  boatload  of  you,  three  at  a  time, 
any  day,  and  I'll  warrant  I  could  do  the  same  by 
the  best  man  of  you  all." 

"  That  you  could,  sonny,  for  they're  the  meanest 
lot  of  white-livered  lubbers  that  ever  cut  throats. 
Stove  me  for'ard !  but  I  should  ha'  liked  to  a-seen 
you  drubbing  them." 

"  Yes !  so  that  you  could  have  taken  pot  shots 
at  us,  I  daresay,"  replied  I  drily. 

"Like  as  not,  but  after  the  turn-up  was  over, 
not  afore !  Gum !  but  it  must  ha'  bin  good  to 
see,"  and  he  cackled  again  at  the  thought.  "  How- 
ever, you  know  what  I  am.  I  was  fust  mate  of  the 
'Wauhoo'  when  she  was  afloat,  I  was,  an'  it  warn't 


THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON.  145 

no  landlubber  of  you  all  but  the  bitterest  devil  this 
side  of  Davy  Jones  that  smashed  the  bone  in  that 
leg.  An'  I  swear  to  you  that  I  can  make  it  worth 
a  good  deal  more  to  you  to  dock  me  for  repairs 
and  turn  me  out  sound  and  ship-shape  again,  than 
to  hang  me  up  with  the  King's  Jewellery  on  to 
make  the  country  round  look  pretty.  I  can ! " 

"How?" 

"  Ah  !  that's  it.  Now  you  give  me  your  solemn 
word  o'  promise  that  I'm  to  be  first  set  to  rights 
and  then  allowed  to  go  free  till  I  find  a  ship  and 
get  clean  away,  an'  I'll  pitch  you  a  yarn  that'll 
make  you  jump." 

"  But  how  do  I  know  that  your  tale  will  be 
worth  it,  or  whether  it's  true  when  you've 
told  it?" 

"  Will  it  be  worth  it  if  it  saves  the  whole  lot  of 
you  from  having  your  throats  cut  some  night  ? " 
demanded  he. 

"There  are  not  enough  pirates  unhung  to  do 
that,"  retorted  I. 

"  Ain't  there  ?  Well,  that's  as  may  be :  you'll 
see  when  the  time  comes.  As  for  its  being  true, 
don't  forget  it  was  Dew  did  that,"  touching  his 
bloody  bandage  as  he  spoke. 

Pondering  the  matter  for  a  minute  or  so,  I  re- 


146  THE  JEWEL  OF  YNYS  GALON: 

solved  to  close  with  the  offer,  remembering  that 
the  fellow  would  still  be  in  our  power  if  he  played 
us  false. 

"  Very  well,  mate,"  said  I,  gracing  him  with  his 
title.  "  I'll  make  a  bargain  with  you.  You  give 
me  information  that  is  of  value  to  me  and  I'll  give 
you  my  word  that  you  shall  get  off  cured  and 
cleared.  Now  ?  " 

"  Your  hand  on  it ! " 

"My  hand  on  it,"  suiting  the  action  to  the 
word. 

"Then  this  here's  it.  Dew  and  the  rest  are 
gone  to  Bristol  City  to  fit  out  the  ship  again  and 
fill  her  with  every  blessed  seaman  in  the  place 
that  ever  cut  a  throat  under  the  Jolly  Roger. 
Then  they're  a-coming  here  to  let  daylight  through 
every  mother's  son  of  you  —  aye,  and  they'll  do 
a  deal  worse  than  that  by  those  same  mothers  and 
all  the  rest  of  the  women  folk." 

"When?"  I  asked. 

"  They  left  here  four  days  agone.  They  should 
be  somewhere  pretty  close  by  this  time." 

"That  is  the  truth?" 

"True  as  Gospel." 

No  doubt  the  villain  expected  me  to  be  aston- 
ished at  this.  At  any  rate  his  jaw  fell  when,  after 


THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON.  147 

a  minute's  silence,  I  cried  out,  "  I  am  glad  you  say 
so.     I  knew  it  all  along." 

It  was  his  turn  to  doubt.  "  How  did  you  know, 
young  tar  heel  ?  Who  told  you  ? " 

"  No  one.  You  need  not  fear  my  breaking  my 
promise.  I'll  keep  that.  What  I  mean  is  that  I 
all  along  believed  we  hadn't  done  with  the  pirates 
yet." 

He  looked  much  relieved.  "  That  you  have  not, 
young  gentleman.  Old  Dew  will  come  back  — 
make  no  mistake  about  that.  He'll  always  do 
more  for  revenge  than  he  will  for  the  good  gold. 
Why,  he  steered  the  'Wauhoo'  slap  into  Port-au- 
Prince  one  night,  and  took  a  boat's  crew  ashore 
to  cut  the  throat  of  a  high  an'  mighty  there  that 
had  got  in  his  way  some  time  or  another.  Mind 
you,  he  had  to  pay  us  handsome  for  that  —  our 
rules  not  allowing  of  such  jobs.  He'll  come,  will 
Dew.  Never  fear." 

"  But  how  comes  it  that  you  are  lying  here  ? 
You  were  mate  of  the  '  Wauhoo,'  you  say,  and  yet 
you  tell  me  Dew  did  this." 

"  Well,  sonny,  mebbe  you  believe  what  I've  told 
you.  Mebbe  you  don't.  Anyhow,  you'll  believe 
easier  when  I've  explained  all  about  this  thing,  and 
somehow  I  feel  as  if  I'd  like  to  run  it  over  once 


148  THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON. 

about  me  and  Dew.  But  first  do  you  give  me 
another  pull  at  that  flask  o'  yourn  :  it's  a  longish 
yarn  and  I  don't  feel  any  too  clever  for  it." 

I  gave   him  the  flask  and  he  emptied  it  at  a 
draught. 


CHAPTER   XII. 

TELLING   HOW    POLWITHY   KEPT   FAITH. 

FIRST  I  bunched  up  the  heather  again  to  prop 
him  higher  and  more  comfortable,  and  then,  hand- 
ing him  the  flask,  had  the  doubtful  pleasure  of 
hearing  the  last  drop  of  its  contents  gurgle  down 
his  gullet. 

"Ah,  that's  something  like  stuff:  that  never 
paid  duty,  I'll  warrant.  Shouldn't  wonder  but 
that  old  shell-back  a-steerin'  your  skiff  the  other 
day  steered  that  flaskful  ashore  too.  Now  about 
Dew.  We  calls  him  old  Dew ;  though  I'll  lay  he's 
pretty  nigh  the  youngest  of  us  all,  leastwise  I  don' 
reckon  he's  much  over  thirty,  an'  he's  been  Cap'n 
of  the  '  Wauhoo '  nigh  on  to  three  years  now. 

"When  I  joined  her  old  Bluewitt  was  Cap'n; 
Dew,  he  was  mate,  an'  I  was  bo'sun.  Me  an' 
Dew  never  did  hit  it  off  together,  an'  the  longer 
we  know'd  each  other,  the  more  stand  off  we  got. 
Not  open  like,  because  old  Bluewitt  would  have 
cut  our  two  throats  in  turn,  as  it  came  our  watch 

149 


150  THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON. 

below,  if  he  thought  we'd  be  likely  to  divide  the 
crew.  An'  quite  right,  too.  Now  Dew's  a  smart 
sailor  and  always  was,  an'  he'd  chase  the  biggest 
ship  that  ever  sailed,  or  any  two  of  'em  for  the 
matter  of  that,  if  he  thought  it  was  worth  while. 
But  he  has  a  high  an'  mighty  notion  of  hisself,  as 
if  he  was  a  blessed  British  admiral  and  we  a  lot  o' 
pressed  men  ;  an'  that  doesn't  go  down  with  gen- 
tlemen of  our  kidney. 

"  Anyhow  we  fell  of  a  day  when  old  Bluewitt 
laid  us  alongside  of  a  King's  Ship  by  mistake,  an' 
when  a  broadside  swept  him  overboard  in  differ- 
ent sized  messes,  Dew  took  hold  and  brought  us 
off ;  mauled  of  course,  but  still  good  enough  for 
business  another  day.  It  was  smartly  done,  I 
won't  deny,  and  naturally  he  comes  put  as  Cap- 
tain—  me  to  be  mate,  not  because  he  liked  me, 
but  because  the  crew  did,  an'  so  he  concluded  to 
let  it  be  so. 

"  Now  Dew,  he's  a  pirate,  but  he's  the  son  of  a 
pirate  too !  Ulloth  was  his  father ;  the  stiffest 
man  that  ever  harried  a  Spanish  town,  if  all  be 
true  that's  told  of  him. 

"  This  Ulloth  would  be  a  gentleman  and  come 
to  live  in  England  as  such  —  an'  I  reckon  that's 
because  he  was  a  half-breed  and  born  somewhere 


THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON.  151 

under  the  line.  Contrary! — But  when  he  gets 
into  this  channel  out  here  he  gets  wrecked  on  an 
island  full  of  pirates  and  everybody  drowned  but 
he,  that  was  pulled  ashore  by  the  Cap'n  o'  this 
island.  There  he  heard  about  a  cave  full  of  gold 
and  jewels,  though  they  wouldn't  let  him  see  it. 
Then  he  makes  love  to  this  Cap'n's  daughter  and 
runs  off  with  the  girl,  thinking  that  he'll  torture 
her  and  make  her  confess  just  where  the  cave 
was." 

"  I  know,"  interrupted  I.  "  This  was  the  island 
and  she  stole  the  Jewel." 

"  Ha  !  so  that  was  true,  then  ?  Mebbe  you  can 
tally  the  rest.  Well !  Ulloth,  he  found  he'd  laid 
the  wrong  ship  aboard,  for  the  first  move  he  made 
with  the  girl  she  floored  him  with  the  pistol  from 
his  own  belt,  an'  when  he  whipped  out  his  cutlass 
she  wheezed  a  ball  through  him.  I  reckon  she 
was  a  clipper,  she  was.  Then  she  slipped  away 
and  Ulloth  never  seen  any  more  of  her.  After 
that  he  gathers  a  crew  and  starts  back  for  this 
island,  an'  that's  the  last  the  West  Indies  heard 
of  him. 

"  It  appears  this  son  growed  up  to  be  my  Cap'n 
—  Dew  hisself  —  and  his  mother  had  persuaded 
him  to  some  yarn  about  being  King  of  this  'ere 


152  THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON. 

blasted  island,  along  o'  the  Jewel  she  stole.  An' 
that's  what  made  him  so  stuck  up !  But  it  ap- 
pears she  told  him  about  this  cave  full  of  gold, 
too,  an'  that  it  couldn't  be  handled  till  some  one 
with  the  Jewel  came  to  haul  it  out  —  an'  he  be- 
lieved the  whole  blessed  yarn ;  every  word !  an' 
that's  what  brought  us  here !  You  see  we  made 
a  mint  o'  money  after  he  got  Cap'n :  I  don't  deny 
he's  as  smart  a  man  as  ever  fought  a  ship  ;  but 
atop  o'  that  he  ups  and  swears  we  are  all  to  go  to 
England  an'  settle  down  to  be  lords,  every  man 
of  us.  That's  what  his  father  said  afore  him  —  I 
reckon  it  runs  in  the  blood,  an'  he's  the  stubborn- 
est  man  that  ever  made  up  his  mind. 

"  Now  I  reckon  we  did  have  a  rare  old  time 
when  first  we  comes  to  Bristol.  We  was  drunk 
from  one  day  to  another,  an'  I've  seen  us  lift  a 
keg  o'  rum  and  turn  the  spigot  into  our  throats 
till  we  was  speechless.  But  not  Dew;  he  sets 
out  to  claim  this  kingdom  o'  his.  It  appears  he 
found  it  —  this  is  it,"  with  a  motion  of  the  hand 
to  indicate  the  island. 

"  I  reckon  he  didn't  find  any  people  to  be  king 
over,  but  he  heard  of  something  a  long  lay  finer. 
He  heard  that  his  father  had  cleaned  out  and  mur- 
dered the  son's  subjects,  but  yet  missed  the  treas- 


THE  JEWEL  OF  YNYS  GALON.  153 

ure,  which  was  reckoned  to  be  here  somewhere 
still" 

"  And  that  is  true  also !  "  interpolated  I. 

"  Ha !  is  it  ?  He  said  it  was  ;  though  most  of 
us  didn't  believe  it.  But  he'd  lost  the  Jewel,  and 
so  he  reckoned  that  he'd  have  to  find  that  fust. 
He  tried  to  persuade  us,  too,  that  if  we  found 
the  Jewel  again  he  could  claim  the  island  and 
the  treasure  in  court  of  law,  since  he  would  be  the 
owner  and  lord  of  the  island  then.  You  know 
best  how  they  went  on  when  the  four  of  them 
landed  to  look  for  the  Jewel  that  day.  Well, 
after  that  we  makes  him  give  up  the  hunting  for 
the  Jack,  and  tells  him  we'll  take  the  risk  of  own- 
ing this  treasure  if  once  we  finds  it.  He  was  mad 
at  that,  but  he  pretends  to  give  in,  an'  so  easy  too, 
that  I  might  ha'  knowed  he  was  only  waiting  — 
Dew  never  gives  in  on  one  tack  without  he's  made 
up  his  mind  to  win  on  some  other.  Then  we  lands 
here  and  sets  to  hunting  up  this  treasure,  an'  I 
tell  you  now  there  ain't  no  such  thing  aboard  this 
blessed  rat-hole,  for  we've  dug  up  the  floor  of 
every  cave  in  it,  an'  all  we  ever  found  was  rotten 
keg  staves  an'  such  like. 

"Then  that  day  you  dropped  on  us,  an*  I 
reckon  no  seamen  was  ever  done  so  neatly. 


154          THE  JEWEL  OF  YNYS  GALON. 

Though  if  that  fool  Dickson  hadn't  wet  the 
priming  of  the  gun  we'd  ha'  had  you  when  first 
you  showed  round  the  Jaws.  Mebbe  you  thought 
we  was  all  drowned,  but  we  was  no  landlubbers  ; 
we  backed  her  off,  though  she  had  two  or  three 
holes  in  her  that  looked  like  Davy  Jones  a-squint- 
in'  through.  We  stuck  jackets  in  them  and  put 
back  here,  bailing  all  the  way.  That  sickened  the 
whole  of  us,  though,  an'  I  swore,  dead  on,  that  I'd 
stand  no  more  such  foolin',  an'  the  rest  they  swore 
the  same. 

"Well,  now,  Dew,  he  only  smiled  and  said  'All 
right,  an'  we'd  better  patch  up  and  get  back  to 
Bristol  at  once.' 

"  I  didn't  like  to  see  him  fall  in  so  smooth,  an' 
I  took  good  care  to  speak  him  fair  and  soft  and 
be  spry  about  my  duties.  Then  there  was  four 
days  we  was  patchin'  up  the  boat  an'  pickin' 
your  blessed  bird  shot  out  o'  one  another,  an' 
drinkin'  the  last  o'  the  rum,  all  'cept  one  bottle 
Dew  saved.  Then  we  was  ready  to  sail. 

"  When  we  thought  we  was  all  aboard,  Dew 
says  quiet-like  to  me,  '  Polwithy,  we're  one  man 
short.  You'll  find  Dickson  up  there  in  the  house  : 
I  reckon  he  stole  the  bottle  o'  rum.  Fetch  him 
down  out  o'  that ! '  Now  Dickson  was  always 


THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON.  155 

the  drunkest  of  the  lot  by  reason  of  his  bein' 
soft  and  his  head  not  standin'  the  rum.  Well,  I 
comes  up  and  finds  Dickson  and  he  stands  and 
jaws  at  me,  an'  just  as  I  was  goin'  to  lay  hands 
on  him  an'  haul  him  down  I  hears  a  noise  behind 
me  an'  turns  to  find  Dew,  in  the  doorway  there, 
with  a  brace  of  cocked  pistols  in  his  hands  lining 
me.  Afore  I  could  move  he  drops  me  —  there, 
where  that  bandage  is,  both  balls  —  an'  as  I  goes 
down  he  jumps  over  an'  snatches  away  my  pistols 
an'  cutlass. 

"  Seeing  that,  Dickson  struck  in  for  me,  but 
instead  of  a  pistol  he  only  flings  the  pannikin  o' 
rum  at  Dew's  head  —  being  a  natural  fool  an' 
soft  —  an'  before  he  had  time  to  follow  that  up 
Dew  whips  a  brace  of  balls  through  him  —  an' 
that's  him  over  there !  Then  turning  to  me  as 
quiet  as  a  gentleman,  'Now  you  lie  there,  Pol- 
withy,'  says  the  Cap'n,  'till  my  relations  from 
Pwllwen  come  over  an'  give  you  a  rise  in  the 
world  at  the  end  of  a  rope.  I  don't  allow  any 
man  to  stand  in  my  way  when  I've  set  to  do  a 
thing.  I'll  give  them  time  to  find  you  and  then 
I'll  turn  up  in  the  "Wauhoo"and  cut  every  throat, 
within  three  miles  of  Pwllwen,  till  I  find  the 
Jewel  again.' 


156  THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON. 

"An*  that's  four  days  ago,  sonny,"  concluded 
Polwithy. 

"  But  how  have  you  managed  since  ?  "  queried  I 
eagerly. 

"  Oh !  I  lived  very  cheap,  sonny,  since  then. 
Wittles  an'  drink  together  cost  me  nothin'  "  —  he 
grinned  horribly  as  he  said  it  —  "  there  was  Dick- 
son's  bottle — which  I  reckon  Dew  gave  him  on 
purpose  —  wasn't  empty  yet,  an'  there  was  some 
water  in  that  pannikin  an'  a  couple  o'  biscuits  in 
my  pocket.  An'  here  I've  laid  ever  since  with 
the  pistols  I  took  from  Dickson's  belt  —  which  I 
reckon  Dew  didn't  think  of.  I'm  mighty  glad  I 
missed  you  too,  sir,  stove  me  for'ard  if  I  ain't! 
since,  don't  you  see,  I'm  to  be  nussed  according 
to  your  promise,  whereas  if  I'd  hit  you,  either 
your  people  would  have  come  over  to  look  for  you 
and  found  me,  or  else  Dew  would  ha'  come  back, 
and  I  know  what  that  'ud  ha'  meant." 

"  Speakin'  o'  that  too,  we  ain't  got  no  time  to 
lose,  so  if  your  boat's  handy  we'd  better  warp  out 
o'  this  an'  stand  out  for  sea  room." 

His  eagerness  showed  how  much  he  dreaded 
the  return  of  his  old  captain,  and  forced  me  to 
believe  his  story.  Moreover,  I  pitied  him  in  that 
he  had  lain  through  so  much  misery  in  those  four 


THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON.  157 

days  with  that  corpse  beside  him  ;  it  must  have 
been  an  awful  time.  And  then  on  top  of  that  I 
had  stricken  him  so  stoutly,  though  of  course 
unaware  of  his  condition.  I  felt  very  sorry  as  I 
thought  of  it,  and  therefore  I  spoke  at  once. 

"  Just  wait  till  I  go  and  clear  the  skiff  to  make 
room  for  you,  if  you  can  bear  the  moving  ?  " 

"  No  tricks  now,  sonny ;  no  slipping  your  cable 
and  leaving  me  here  for  Dew.  Remember  your 
promise." 

"  I  am  a  gentleman,"  retorted  I  stiffly. 

"  Ah  !  an'  I'm  one  too,  but  not  your  sort.  I've 
kept  my  word,  though." 

"And  I'll  keep  mine!" 

"  Aye  !  but  just  help  me  out  o'  this  hole  that's 
as  foul  as  a  Spanish  lazareet.  Let  me  lie  in  the 
sun  an'  the  wind  while  you  are  making  snug : 
mebbe  I  can  look  on  an'  give  you  a  hint  or  two. 
Won't  you  ? " 

That  touched  me,  for  I  have  ever  loved  the  free 
air  and  the  bonny  sunlight,  and  so,  without  another 
word,  I  stooped  and  helped  him  up  on  to  the  one 
sound  limb.  The  pain  made  hiip  swear  and  curse 
fit  to  raise  one's  hair,  there  being  now  no  longer 
need  for  silence  as  when  he  crawled  for  the  mus- 
ket. Therefore  he  pitched  a  full  note  of  it. 


158  THE  JEWEL  OF  YNYS  GALON. 

"  I  ain't  no  sermon-snuffler  at  the  best  o'  times, 
an'  that's  a  fact ;  but  this  leg  does  hurt  me,  an', 
by  the  way  she  hangs  in  stays  when  I  wear  ship, 
I  reckon  she'll  have  to  be  fitted  with  a  new  spar 
—  a  timber  toe,  by  gum  !  " 

I  thought  so  too,  but  I  did  not  say  anything :  I 
was  busy  helping  him  along.  "Good-bye,  Dick- 
son,"  he  growled,  as  we  passed  into  the  kitchen. 
"You  see,"  he  went  on  to  me,  apologetically, 
"  I've  talked  to  him  so  long  while  we've  been  lying 
there  broadside  on  to  one  another,  him  listening 
soothing-like,  with  his  dead  ears,  when  I  swore  to 
ease  my  pain  —  that  it  sorter  seems  like  leaving  a 
living  messmate ;  an'  after  all  it  wasn't  his  fault  he 
was  soft.  Dew  gave  him  the  rum." 

When  we  reached  the  outer  doorway  he  leaned 
against  the  charred  door-post  and  expanded  his 
chest  with  a  deep  breath  while  he  rolled  out  a 
string  of  fantastic  blasphemy  in  pure  delight  of 
seeing  the  day  once  more.  He  was  a  very  fasci- 
nating villain  to  me,  having  no  more  conscience 
than  a  mad  dog,  and  somehow  I  felt  that  I  had  not 
done  with  him  yet. 

When  we  reached  the  edge  of  the  rock  over- 
hanging the  water,  I  let  him  lie  where  he  could 
watch  me  as  I  descended  to  dress  the  skiff  for  his 


THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON.  159 

reception.  This  was  soon  done,  and  I  proposed  to 
assist  him  down  the  steps. 

"  None  o'  your  steps  for  me,  sonny,  with  this 
leg.  You  pass  me  a  line  up  here ;  I  see  you've 
got  one  handy.  Make  it  fast  to  the  doorway  be- 
hind and  carry  it  round  your  mast  thwart.  Then 
you  put  out  a  little  and  down  her  anchor  to  stay 
her  against  my  weight,  and  just  keep  her  bow  on 
to  me  while  I  come  down,  hand  under  hand,  as 
gently  as  the  Jolly  Roger  when  he  goes  into  Port 
Royal  for  honest  seamen.  So !  belay  there,  an' 
stand  by  to  receive  cargo  !  " 

By  this  time  I  had  followed  his  instructions  and 
now  watched  him  seize  the  line  and  swing  himself 
over.  He  did  not  come  down  hand  under,  being, 
as  I  suppose,  too  weak,  but  he  came  down  on  his 
stomach  and  growling  every  foot  he  gained,  by 
reason  of  the  pain  in  his  leg. 

When  he  was  safely  aboard  he  tumbled  to  the 
tiller.  "  I'll  steer,  sonny.  You  lay  the  course  an' 
I'll  keep  it.  I  want  to  get  outside  o'  this,  for  I'm 
afeared  an'  shaking  in  my  bones  lest  every  minute 
I  see  Dew  a-coming  through  that  blessed  bottle 
neck  of  an  entrance  there.  Let's  get  under  way. 
Ah  !  but  I  forgot,  there's  that  musket  o'  yourn 
that  you  did  us  such  damage  with.  Like  enough 


160          THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON. 

we'll  want  it  again  if  we  meet  Dew  outside.  Just 
run  up  and  fetch  it.  Lively  now." 

I  dreamed  no  harm  of  this,  and  moreover,  I  was 
loth  to  lose  the  gun  that  had  stood  me  in  such 
stead.  Therefore  I  set  to  fetch  it,  and  accordingly 
started  hand  over  hand  up  the  line  he  came  down. 
Barely  was  I  half-way  before  I  heard  a  horrible 
chuckle  in  the  boat.  Instantly  I  remembered  the 
hatchet  under  the  seat  and,  looking  back,  was  hor- 
rified to  see  Polwithy,  with  a  vicious  pant,  bring 
down  the  keen  edge  upon  the  straining  line.  I  had 
not  time  to  loose  my  hold  ere  the  rope  parted  and 
I  was  dashed  so  forcibly  against  the  rock  as  to 
partly  stun  me. 

I  scarcely  remember  a  time  when  I  could  not 
swim,  and  it  was  second  nature  to  me  to  strike 
out,  even  dazed  as  I  was.  But  the  cool  of  the 
water  revived  me  almost  at  once,  and  my  wits 
gathered  just  in  time  to  allow  me  thoroughly  to 
comprehend  the  meaning  of  that  ferocious  face 
and  gleaming  hatchet  in  the  skiff,  towards  which  I 
was  heading  feebly.  Turning  again,  I  made  for 
the  steps,  and  instantly  upon  reaching  them  dashed 
to  the  top. 

Glancing  back,  I  saw  the  villain  had  already  cut 
the  anchor  rope  and  was  bringing  the  skiff's  head 


THE  JEWEL  OF  YNYS  GALON.  l6l 

round  to  the  wind.  Spurred  by  the  sight,  which 
roused  me  to  fullest  anger,  I  rushed  into  the  house 
and  seized  the  musket.  Darting  back  I  raised  it  to 
my  shoulder  and,  taking  good  aim,  shouted  in  my 
wrath,  "Now!  you  thundering  villain!"  and 
pulled  the  trigger.  But  there  was  no  report ;  not 
even  a  flash  in  the  pan,  for  the  fall  had  jarred  the 
priming  out,  and  in  my  rage  I  had  forgotten  to 
renew  it. 

"  Ho  !  ho !  young  skipjack,"  shouted  the  pirate 
in  derision.  "  You  are  a  fine  gentleman  now,  no 
doubt !  but  you'll  be  a  finer  one  when  Dew 
comes  and  finds  you  trespassing  on  his  blasted 
kingdom." 

Stung  to  madness  by  his  taunts,  pricked,  too,  by 
the  fear  of  what  he  said  concerning  my  fate  should 
Dew  find  me  on  the  island,  I  bethought  me  of  my 
powder  horn.  There  must  surely  be  some  dry 
powder  in  it  in  spite  of  my  ducking,  for  it  was  one 
Will  Barry  had  made  for  me  himself. 

"  I've  got  you,"  I  shouted  back  in  ferocious  joy, 
being  now  no  more  like  a  Christian  than  the  pirate 
himself,  so  deeply  had  his  treachery  and  my  morti- 
fication worked.  Turning,  I  sprang  away  at  my 
fleetest  pace  to  gain  the  edge  of  the  cliff  over- 
hanging the  last  bend  in  the  neck.  My  wind  was 

M 


1 62  THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON". 

good  in  those  days,  but  yet  I  had  barely  time  to 
reach  the  spot  ere  the  skiff  was  passing  beneath. 
I  had  shaken  out  two-thirds  of  the  powder  as  I  ran, 
and  now,  as  I  threw  myself  down  at  full  length,  I 
dashed  a  choking  priming  into  the  pan.  The  fel- 
low was  right  beneath  me,  although  perhaps  sixty 
feet  down. 

"  You  had  your  shot :  this  is  mine  !  "  I  shouted. 
Startled  at  my  voice,  he  looked  up  and  through  the 
sights  of  my  weapon  I  saw  his  horrible  visage  pale 
as  I  pulled  the  trigger.  He  seemed  to  be  seized 
with  a  notion  of  leaping  overboard,  but  the  charge 
took  him  full  in  the  back  of  the  neck  as  he  bent 
and  he  fell  all  of  a  heap,  dead,  on  the  gunwale, 
bringing  it  dangerously  near  to  the  water's  edge, 
while  the  skiff  fell  away  until  she  bumped  idly 
against  the  face  of  the  cliff  on  whose  top  I 
lay. 

Then  a  trembling  came  over  me,  for  though  I 
had  fired  into  the  boat  the  other  day,  yet  this  was 
the  first  time  I  had  seen  plainly  the  result  of  my 
handiwork.  I  felt  a  rush  of  horror,  such  as  I  could 
not  before  have  believed  in.  Not  even  the  re- 
membrance of  his  treachery  could  avail  to  stay  the 
first  sharp  pang  of  my  remorse,  and  just  then  I 
honestly  believed  that  no  length  of  years  could 


THE  JEWEL   OF   YNYS  GALON.  163 

ever  blot  out  from  my  mind  the  grey  pallor  that 
made  his  features  so  hideous  when  I  pulled  the 
trigger.  And  to  this  day  the  picture  of  Polwithy's 
death  stands  out  as  clearly  almost  as  even  the 
bloody  horrors  I  was  so  soon  to  witness  and  take 
part  in. 


CHAPTER   XIII. 

ENDING  WITH  SOME  PREPARATIONS  FOR  DEFENCE. 

IT  was  the  remembrance  of  Dew's  present  in- 
tentions that  roused  me  at  length  and  sent  me 
back  to  the  stairhead  in  the  harbour. 

My  clothing  being  so  wet,  I  did  not  trouble  to 
strip  beyond  my  coat  and  shoes ;  but,  first  finding 
and  belting  on  the  knife  I  had  wrested  from  the 
pirate  in  the  inner  room,  I  plunged  in  and  struck 
for  the  neck.  I  took  the  knife  because  even  yet  I 
could  not  feel  sure  that  the  pirate  was  dead  enough 
to  be  unable  to  swing  one  other  blow  of  the 
hatchet,  so  strong  an  impression  had  his  devilish 
determination  and  his  pertinacity  of  life  through 
all  the  pain  of  his  waiting  wrought  upon  me. 

But  the  precaution  was  needless,  for  when  I 
reached  the  skiff  the  body  was  still  huddled  where 
it  had  fallen.  Stroking  ahead,  I  clambered  aboard 
over  the  bows,  and  the  first  thing  I  did  was  to 
heave  his  body  overboard.  Not  till  the  black  and 
inky  deeps  had  closed  above  him  did  I  feel  sure  of 

164 


THE' JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON.  165 

him,  and  then  with  a  sigh  of  relief,  sorrow  and  sat- 
isfaction strangely  mingled,  I  set  to  pull  back  to 
the  harbour  steps. 

Donning  my  coat  and  shoes  again  and  reloading 
my  musket  with  the  last  of  my  powder,  fortunately 
dry  enough,  as  I  proved  by  flashing  some  in  the 
pan,  I  stepped  into  the  skiff  once  more  and  started 
for  the  neck  and  the  open  sea.  Once  outside, 
with  the  cheery  sun  dancing  on  the  twinkling 
waters  and  the  sweet  breeze  playing  upon  my 
cheek,  the  horror  that  had  settled  upon  me  in  the 
charnel  place  of  Treforgan  seemed  to  lighten  and 
disappear.  My  spirits  rose  with  every  length  I 
left  it  behind,  and  at  length  I  —  grew  hungry. 
First  tossing  my  flask  overboard  in  sheer  disgust 
of  the  lips  that  last  had  touched  it,  I  took  the 
half  loaf  and  piece  of  cheese  from  the  little  for- 
ward locker,  together  with  the  flagon  of  sack 
reposing  beside  it,  and  thereupon,  in  spite  of 
what  had  happened  in  the  last  hour,  made  a  very 
decent  meal  indeed. 

With  the  eating  and  the  drinking  my  spirits 
rose  to  such  an  extent  that  I  was  soon  ready  to 
think  most  valiantly  in  respect  of  my  own  deserts, 
and  even  to  maintain  to  my  conscience  that  I 
had  done  a  righteous  deed  in  ridding  the  world  of 


1 66  THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON. 

so  foul  a  wretch — the  man  who  would  have  left 
me  to  be  butchered  by  Dew  after  failing  in  the 
same  design  himself.  Then  I  fell  to  wondering  if 
Polwithy's  tale  were  true.  Even  as  the  doubt 
appeared  I  scouted  it ;  whatever  the  man  himself 
might  be,  his  tale  was  too  sound  not  to  be  true, 
and,  moreover,  I  believed  that  at  the  time  he 
told  it  he  was  really  hoping  to  keep  me  to  my 
promise  of  securing,  first  his  return  to  health 
and  afterwards  his  escape.  It  was  only  the  new 
hopes  born  of  the  sunshine,  the  free  air  and  the 
trim  skiff,  which  bred  the  treachery  of  cutting 
me  loose  into  the  harbour.  It  is  to  be  supposed 
that  he  then  intended  to  sail  back  to  Bristol,  and 
take  his  chance  there  in  some  low  haunt  where 
such  as  he  might  count  on  security  and  friends. 

That  brought  the  terror  of  Dew  up  again,  and 
you  may  be  very  sure  that  I  kept  a  bright  look- 
out all  the  way  over,  steering  in  the  strength  of 
the  current  in  order  to  get  every  wash  of  speed 
possible  out  of  the  skiff.  Slipping  along  at  a 
great  rate,  I  soon  rounded  the  point  of  Trwynhir, 
feeling  a  huge  swell  of  relief  at  seeing  before  me 
the  dim  haze  of  smoke  and  glint  of  whitewashed 
cottages  which  told  that  as  yet,  at  least,  Pwllwen 
had  not  been  harried  by  the  dreaded  Dew. 


THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON.  167 

Dick  Shon  was  still  upon  the  beach  and  standing 
by  to  lend  a  hand  as  the  skiff  ran  lightly  ashore. 

"  Has  Morris  got  back  with  the  lugger  yet  ? " 
I  demanded  at  once,  though  feeling  sure  before- 
hand of  his  answer. 

"  Not  yet,  but  I  expect  him  to-night  or  to- 
morrow if  all  goes  well.  But  Och !  Ivor  boy ! 
what  is  the  matter  ?  Your  hat  and  sword  are 
gone,  your  coat  is  torn  and  there  is  blood  in  the 
boat  —  has  any  harm  happened  you,  son  Ivor  ? " 
There  was  genuine  warmth  in  his  tone. 

"  Well,  I  found  a  pirate  in  Treforgan  and  he 
tried  to  kill  me  and  steal  the  boat.  I  shot  him 
—  that  is  all.  But  this  I  will  tell  you  for  truth, 
Dick  Shon,  the  pirates  were  not  drowned  at  all. 
They  got  clear  off,  and  now  they  have  gone  back 
to  get  their  ship  and  more  murderers  and  come 
and  cut  the  throats  of  every  soul  in  Pwllwen." 

"  Ah  now  !  Dear  King  !  but  that's  very  pretty 
of  them.  Still  if  they  do  not  get  here  before 
the  lugger,  I  do  think  'twill  be  other  throats 
than  they  reckon  will  be  to  be  cut.  I  even 
feel  very  easy  as  it  is,  for  I  will  pass  the  word 
at  once  and  there  will  be  enough  of  us  to  take 
a  hand  in  the  cutting  perhaps,  without  waiting 
for  the  lugger.  Diaoul !  Yes  !  " 


1 68  THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON. 

"  Right.  I  think  so  too.  And  now  I'll  get  up 
home  and  tell  my  father.  We  have  men  enough 
at  Dolgoch  to  tackle  a  good  many  pirates." 

"  And  never  a  one  of  them  at  Dolgoch  better 
than  yourself,  Ivor  boy.  It  is  a  rare  man  you 
are  grown  since  you  came  from  school,"  replied 
he,  with  true  approval  in  his  tone. 

I  laughed  at  that,  but  I  was  pleased  too,  and 
all  the  way  to  the  Black  Lion  I  swelled  my  chest 
with  pride.  It  was  no  light  thing  to  have  won 
such  words  from  one  who  usually  was  grimmer, 
if  possible,  than  old  Las  himself.  Taking  the  dun 
nag  from  Tom  Ostler,  who  was  watering  him,  I 
jumped  upon  his  bare  back  and  drummed  him 
with  my  heels  into  a  flying  gallop  over  the  bridge 
and  up  the  avenue,  as  I  had  often  done  for  sport 
aforetimes.  This  time  it  was  to  speed  my  news, 
and  even  his  pace  —  a  very  decent  one  that  was 
too  —  could  not  allay  my  sudden  impatience. 
Which  is  the  way  of  a  boy  a-horseback. 

I  found  my  father  engaged  in  a  game  of  bowls 
with  Doctor  David  on  the  lawn  in  front  of  the 
house,  Will  Barry  and  the  parson  sitting  under 
the  great  oak  looking  on. 

"Hulloa,  sir!"  cried  my  father,  seeing  my 
unseemly  haste.  "Is  that  the  way  a  gentleman 


THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON.  169 

comes  before  his  father?  But  what  is  the  mat- 
ter?" for  as  I  leaped  down  he,  like  Dick  Shon, 
noticed  my  disordered  appearance. 

"The  pirates,  sir!"  said  I,  with  as  much  defer- 
ence as  I  could  assume  upon  the  instant.  "  One 
shot  at  me  and  tore  my  coat,  and  after  that  cut  the 
rope  and  dropped  me  in  the  water,  where  I  lost 
my  hat." 

"  Diaoul !  were  you  hanging  ?  committing  sui- 
cide ?  And  did  he  cut  the  rope  with  your  own 
sword,  sir ! " 

"  Nay,  sir !  for  shame,  sir  !  "  interposed  the  old 
doctor.  "The  lad  has  a  tale  to  tell,  I  warrant. 
And  touching  the  sword,  I  think  he  would  not  lose 
that  to  a  pirate  any  easier  than  his  father  would. 
Be  just,  .sir." 

To  have  another  praise  his  son  was  right  pleas- 
ing to  my  father,  and  his  assumed  sternness  fell  at 
once  into  a  gracious  aspect. 

"  Let  us  hear  the  story,  son ;  it  must  be  worth 
hearkening  to  come  at  such  speed.  But  first  are 
you  hurt,  Ivor?" 

"Not  hurt,  sir,  only  a  scratch!"  and  forthwith 
I  fell  to  recounting  the  day's  adventures.  I  laid 
great  stress  upon  Polwithy's  ingratitude,  in  order 
to  excuse  as  far  as  possible  the  killing  of  him. 


I/O  THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON. 

Not  that  there  proved  to  be  any  occasion  for  this, 
since  my  father  exploded  like  a  powder  magazine 
as  he  heard  of  the  fellow's  dastardly  attempt  to 
drown  me,  while  the  doctor  swore  openly  and 
learnedly  and  the  parson  protested  emphatically 
upon  the  point.  As  for  my  foster-brother,  he 
showed  his  teeth  in  a  dry  grin  that  was  very 
suggestive  to  me,  who  knew  the  thoughts  of  his 
heart. 

"Shoot  him!"  ejaculated  my  father.  "It  is  a 
pity,  certainly,  that  you  killed  him.  You  should 
have  brought  him  home  alive,  and  I  would  have 
thrown  him  to  the  kennels  for  the  dogs  to  worry. 
Diaoul!" 

"And  your  wound,"  cried  the  doctor.  "Let 
me  see  that  at  once ! " 

"  Oh,  that  was  only  Polwithy  practising  phle- 
botomy. Not  carrying  a  lance,  he  used  a  pistol," 
protested  I  slyly. 

"  Young  gentleman,"  quoth  the  doctor  severely, 
"if  the  loss  of  blood  from  this  wound  should  bring 
on  a  fever,  you  will  be  glad  enough  to  have  me 
cure  that  by  practising  another  touch  of  phle- 
botomy—  which  will  be  on  the  principle  of  'like 
cures  like.'  I  will  not  quote  it  in  the  learned 
language,  since  I  think  from  my  conversation 


THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON.  I? I 

with  you  that  it  was  not  studied  at  the  school 
which  you  attended." 

The  doctor  having  fetched  off  so  pretty  a  vic- 
tory in  this  encounter  of  our  wits,  I  was  fain  to 
submit  and  doff  my  coat  and  vest  for  the  prelimi- 
nary glance  of  the  kindly  old  Medico. 

"Ah!  not  serious;  not  serious;  but  painful,  no 
doubt.  Come  inside  and  I  will  apply  an  oint- 
ment ;  a  salve  that  shall  soothe  it  at  once.  Come 
inside." 

By  the  time  that  it  was  dressed  it  was  drawing 
nigh  to  the  hour  for  dining,  and  I,  turning  to  seek 
a  change  of  dress,  found  that  the  tailor,  after  long 
waiting  for  materials  to  come  by  packhorse  from 
the  coach  town,  had  finished  my  new  apparel. 
This,  while  not  so  gay  or  so  well  abreast  of  the 
mode  as  that  of  the  gallants  I  had  been  wont  to 
envy  in  England,  was  yet  of  such  goodly  texture  and 
appearance  as  to  make  a  very  brave  show  upon  my 
person.  There  were  new  ruffles  to  my  shirt  at 
bosom  and  wrist,  buckles  of  the  brightest  to  my 
shoes,  and  a  small  sword  of  most  elegant  propor- 
tions wherewith  to  cock  my  coat-skirt  at  a  fero- 
cious angle  — which  trick  of  show,  made  with  so 
finikin  a  weapon,  is,  as  I  do  opine,  part  of  its 
nature,  being  imported  from  the  French,  and  like 


172  THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON. 

enough,  therefore,  to  fetch  with  it  their  bragga- 
docio manners. 

Then  I  sought  Will  Barry  in  his  room,  as  I  had 
ever  been  wont,  upon  each  new  advantage  gained, 
to  have  his  approval  and  delighted  comments 
upon  my  appearance,  since  my  fineries  would 
have  yielded  me  scant  pleasure  for  all  their 
brave  aspect,  had  they  not  pleased  him  too  —  as 
is  the  manner  betwixt  friends. 

He  himself  had  donned  his  best  small  clothes, 
with  a  silk  flowered  vest  and  a  new  coat  of  blue 
which  became  him  manly  well  as  he  stood  firm 
and  straight  once  more  after  his  wound. 

Over  the  dinner  my  father  allowed  me  to  see 
that  he  was  very  well  pleased  with  my  day's 
doings,  I  growing  so  proud  at  that  that  my 
waistcoat  was  none  too  big  for  me  at  all.  The 
parson,  too,  beamed  at  me  across  the  table,  and 
was  very  lenient  in  regard  to  my  educational  short- 
comings. In  the  English  of  his  college  days,  then 
half  a  century  past,  he  opined,  that  though  it  had, 
perhaps,  been  more  conducive  to  an  inward  satis- 
faction had  I  proceeded  to  Oxford  and  there  taken 
a  degree,  yet  he  doubted  if  that  scholar,  whose 
learning  I  had  so  rudely  settled  in  his  jacket, 
would  have  borne  himself  with  such  credit  in  the 


THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON.  173 

matter  of  these  pirates.  Wherefore  he  purposed 
to  write  to  Doctor  Deeply,  upon  some  near  occa- 
sion, informing  him  of  my  carriage  and  quittance 
in  this  affair,  whereby  he  hoped  in  some  measure 
to  restore  me  to  the  good  graces  of  that  most 
learned  man. 

Whereat  I  laughed  boisterously  as  I  pictured  an 
encounter  betwixt  Master  Simon  Slimjeans  and 
Polwithy,  even  if  aided  by  the  birch  rod  of  the 
college  head  himself.  Even  the  doctor  grinned 
slyly,  and  my  father  applied  himself  to  the  tasting 
of  a  newly-opened  bottle  as  an  excuse  for  sundry 
grimaces,  which  might  have  been  the  spectres  of 
murdered  smiles.  Will  Barry,  as  having  neither 
knowledge  or  comprehension  of  men  not  constitu- 
tionally brave,  only  smiled  broadly  in  sympathy. 

I  had  need  be  happy  in  those  days  when 
every  man  I  knew  was  proud  of  me  from  one 
end  of  the  place  to  the  other,  and  if  I  thought 
on  my  road  home  from  school  that  I  was  a  man,  I 
was  ready  to  swear  to  it  that  night. 

My  father  even  allowed  me  to  keep  my  seat 
over  the  wine,  though  in  truth  he,  kept  my  glass 
at  his  elbow  and  filled  it  but  sparingly  —  a  thing 
which  was,  perhaps,  most  wise. 

When  the  time  came  to  separate  for  the  night 


174          THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALOtf. 

I  asked  for,  and  obtained,  permission  to  sleep  down 
at  the  Black  Lion,  while  Will  Barry  proclaimed 
his  intention  of  accompanying  me,  since,  as  he 
told  my  father  in  extenuation,  he  should  not  be 
able  to  move  quick  enough  to  reach  the  village  in 
time,  should  Dew  attack  it  while  he  himself  was 
at  Dolgoch.  The  reference  to  his  weakness  took 
my  father  in  the  right  spot,  so  that  he  gave  us  his 
consent  in  a  very  gracious  manner,  only  stipulating 
that  the  little  stable  lad  should  ride  up  on  the  first 
note  of  danger  and  carry  the  news. 

Therefore  my  foster-brother  and  I,  changing  our 
finery  for  more  sober  suits,  forwarded  our  long 
muskets  by  the  hands  of  Pryce  Aubrey,  and  there- 
after, he  leaning  on  my  arm,  sauntered  slowly  down 
the  avenue.  My  foppery  French  sword  I  had  re- 
placed by  a  downright  hewer  and  cutter  from 
Will's  bedhead,  his  second  best  in  fact,  leaving  his 
long  idol  to  streak  the  dusk  alone,  its  wielder 
being  still  too  weak  to  swing  it.  As  he  went  he 
explained  that  if  the  attack  was  irfade  he  should 
sit  in  a  chair  at  his  bedroom  window  and  pot 
pirates  at  his  leisure.  He  could  reach  the  beach 
easily  with  his  especial  musket,  which  was  a  pres- 
ent my  father  had  brought  back  upon  his  return 
from  the  Bath  nearly  a  year  ago.  I  myself  have 


THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON.  175 

ever  loved  a  good  weapon,  but  my  foster-brother 
was  a  rank  pagan  in  respect,  first  of  a  sword, 
and  after  that  of  anything  which  savoured  of  an 
honest  affray. 

Proud  men  may  have  gone  over  that  bridge  be- 
fore my  day,  but  I  do  not  think  a  prouder  one 
ever  crossed  its  crown  than  I  was  that  night.  My 
hat  had  a  strong  rake  aft,  and  as  I  went  I  smote 
the  great  scabbard  by  my  leg  with  the  cane  in  my 
left  hand,  and  we  two  talked  of  slaughter,  or  rather 
I  pictured  the  deeds  I  would  do,  and  he  criticised 
my  limnings. 

Inside  the  Black  Lion  we  found  only  Evan 
Landlord,  Dick  Shon  and  Pryce  Aubrey,  all  the 
men  of  the  village  being  gone  to  bed,  not  in  scorn 
of  my  warning,  but  because  it  was  past  their  usual 
hour  for  retiring  and,  said  they,  they  could  fight 
all  the  better  fresh  than  weary  if  Dew  should 
come.  Dick  Shon  was  to  act  as  lookout,  or  what 
he  called  anchor  watch,  and  Evan  Landlord  was 
to  leave  a  drop  of  something  in  the  kitchen,  with 
the  door  upon  the  latch  only,  so  that  the  watch 
might  punctuate  the  hours  in  sensible  fashion  — 
at  least  that  was  what  Dick  Shon  said  in  explana- 
tion. Will  decided  that  Pryce  Aubrey  was  to 
sleep  in  the  dining-room,  on  the  other  side  of  the 


1/6  THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON. 

passage  which  divided  the  house,  Tom  Ostler  and 
Jenkin  Potman  were  both  to  sleep  in  the  room 
we  were  now  sitting  in,  while  he  and  I  were  to 
occupy  the  two  front  bedrooms,  he  the  one  near- 
est the  beach,  and  I  nearest  the  bridge.  He  did 
not  order  Evan  Landlord  to  sleep  anywhere  in 
particular,  since  that  jovial  soul  had  a  wife  some- 
where on  the  premises,  and  no  man  can  obey  two 
masters,  as  we  know.  Then  we  went  up-stairs. 

Of  course  I  went  into  his  room  with  him  to 
see  what  I  could  do  to  assist  him  in  his  present 
weakness,  who  had  waited  upon  me  hand  and  foot 
from  my  childhood  up.  I  was  as  fussy  as  a  house- 
wife. I  felt  the  sheets  to  determine  if  they  were 
damp,  and  did  not  mind  when  he  met  my  phrase 
of  doubt  as  to  their  airedness  —  caught  from  his 
own  mother,  mind  you  —  with  a  laugh  as  strong 
as  he  dared  compass  by  reason  of  his  ribs  being 
still  tender.  Then,  seeing  that  I  was  going  to 
run  through  the  whole  round  of  the  suspicions 
usual  with  his  mother  in  such  a  case,  he  stopped 
me  with  a  snort,  and  bade  me  assist  him  off  with 
his  coat. 

Then  I  was  to  drag  the  table  close  to  the  win- 
dow and  set  the  chair  beside  it  in  the  right  posi- 
tion to  give  a  clear  sweep  down  to  the  beach.  Next 


THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON.  177 

I  was  to  carefully  load  the  musket  and  place  it 
upon  the  table,  with  the  bandoleers  ranged  ready 
to  hand,  all  as  orderly  and  precise  as  if  he  had 
been  a  soldier  and  this  a  fort.  When  this  was 
accomplished  to  his  satisfaction  I  turned  for  fur- 
ther orders,  and  saw  that  his  eye  had  been  taken 
by  the  sight  of  a  blunderbuss  upon  the  wall. 

It  was  a  peculiar  weapon,  of  foreign  make  as  I 
judged,  for  from  its  muzzle  to  its  shoulder-plate  it 
was  of  brass  entirely.  The  butt  must  have  been  hol- 
low, or  it  would  have  been  impossible  for  a  man  to 
have  used  it ;  as  it  was,  I  should  not  have  cared  to 
shoulder  it.  But  Will  discerned  great  value  in  it. 
"Look  at  the  gape  of  that  muzzle,"  he  cried  ap- 
provingly ;  "  it  will  take  a  whole  parcel  of  bullets 
at  once.  See !  "  and  deftly  cutting  off  a  corner  of 
his  kerchief,  he  tied  up  six  or  seven  small  pistol- 
balls  and  fitted  them  into  the  barrel.  His  enthusi- 
asm rose  still  higher  at  that,  and  he  immediately 
proceeded  to  flash  a  priming  in  the  pan,  holding 
the  muzzle  up  the  chimney  for  safety  the  while, 
in  order  to  make  sure  it  was  unloaded.  Then  he 
set  to  and  loaded  it  himself,  using  a  stiff  charge  of 
powder  and  then  ramming  home  what  he  called  the 
"load  of  grape  shot."  Thereafter  he  primed  it 
and  laid  it  beside  his  musket,  seeming  quite  taken 


1 78  THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON. 

with  its  possibilities,  as  I  remembered  before  morn- 
ing. This  done  he  bade  me  good-night,  and  I  re- 
tired to  my  own  room. 

Of  course  I  did  not  worry  about  the  sheets  in 
my  own  bed,  since  it  was  only  I  who  was  to  sleep 
there,  and  I  had  all  a  boy's  scorn  of  what  I  consid- 
ered effeminacy  in  such  matters.  Instead  I  went 
to  work  to  set  out  my  armament  as  Will  had  his, 
hanging  my  sword  at  the  bedhead,  placing  my 
pistols  under  the  pillow,  and  laying  musket  and 
bandoleers  upon  the  table  by  the  window.  Look- 
ing out  of  the  said  window,  I  noted  afresh  the 
peculiarity  of  the  village.  You  must  know  that 
the  little  stream  coming  from  the  westward,  is  met 
upon  its  passing  under  the  bridge  by  another  from 
the  eastward,  and  together  they  eddy  along  a  deep 
pool  in  a  right  line  towards  the  sea,  where  a  ridge 
of  shingle  cuts  them  off  and  only  allows  them  to 
trickle  out  by  small  and  devious  rills  to  the  ocean. 
The  white  sands  in  the  pool  give  it  its  name,  and 
its  gentle  depths  from  generation  to  generation 
beguiled  the  village  children  into  that  skill  of 
swimming  for  which  they  were  famous.  All  the 
cottages  faced  this  pool  with  their  backs  to  the 
street,  which  ran  in  a'  parallel  line  from  the  bridge 
down  to  the  beach.  Therefore  this  side  of  the 


THE  JEIVEL   OF  YNYS  GALON.  179 

street  had  nothing  but  the  Black  Lion  and  its  out- 
buildings, barring  one  great  barn  at  the  tail  of  the 
bridge  above.  Each  cottage  was  built  separate 
from  its  neighbour,  having  two  rooms  with  a  door 
and  two  windows  facing  the  pool ;  being,  in  fact, 
small  copies  of  the  houses  of  Treforgan.  But 
since  the  destruction  of  that  town  a  tiny  loophole, 
scantly  twelve  inches  in  breadth,  had  been  pierced 
in  the  rear  wall  of  each  habitation,  looking  into  the 
street  behind,  so  that  for  all  the  world  you  could 
think  of  nothing  but  the  gun  ports  of  a  man-of-war 
as  you  glanced  along  the  line.  At  the  same  time 
there  had  been  built  a  row  of  four  cottages  at  right 
angles  betwixt  the  pool  and  the  street,  having  their 
loopholed  backs  to  the  sea,  and  thus  blocking  up 
that  end  of  the  village.  If  only  they  could  have 
been  persuaded  to  wall  up  the  gaps  betwixt  the 
cottage  corners  along  the  street,  the  place  would 
have  been  impregnable  to  any  dash  of  pirates. 

Of  course  all  this  was  not  visible  to  me  in  the 
darkness,  but  I  conjured  it  up  in  my  mind's  eye, 
and  I  have  here  been  at  such  pains  in  describing 
it,  that  the  reader  may  be  at  no  loss  in  picturing 
what  followed. 

One  small  glimmer  of  light  shone  from  the  loop- 
hole of  the  cottage  opposite,  that  of  Dick  Shon, 


180  THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON. 

and  I  fell  a-wondering  how  long  a  time  it  would  be 
before  that  light  would  be  extinguished  forever, 
and  the  villagers  gone  to  people  once  more  the 
ruined  town  of  their  ancestors,  making  it  again 
a  nest  of  sea-rovers.  Will  Barry  would  be  their 
leader,  as  had  been  settled  long  ago,  and  then  what 
should  I  do  alone  here  on  the  mainland  ? 

The  closing  of  the  porthole  roused  me  from  my 
pondering,  and  I  turned  again  to  the  bedside, 
where,  after  repeating  the  prayer  I  was  wont  to 
use  at  that  hour,  I  doffed  my  coat  and  stretched 
along  on  top  of  the  quilt,  falling  sound  asleep  in  a 
moment. 


CHAPTER   XIV. 

DETAILING   THE   BATTLE   OF    PWLLWEN. 

IN  those  days  my  sleep  was  usually  so  sound  as 
to  be  dreamless,  but  this  night  was  an  exception. 
Once  again  I  was  going  through  the  scene  with 
Polwithy.  First  I  heard  the  two  pistol  shots,  and 
finally  the  bang  of  my  own  musket  over  the  edge 
of  the  cliff.  So  vivid  was  the  report  of  this  last 
that  I  awoke  with  a  start  and  sprang  to  the  floor 
to  listen. 

It  was  no  dream  cheating  my  ears ;  the  whole 
place  was  alive  with  the  din  of  fighting,  shouts, 
groans,  oaths  and  curses,  clash  of  steel  and  crash 
of  firearms.  Suddenly  a  sheet  of  blood-red  light 
flared  into  the  room,  and  leaping  to  the  window  I 
flung  it  open  to  gaze  at  the  pandemonium  below. 
Even  as  I  did  so  I  heard  the  bang  of  Will  Barry's 
musket  from  the  next  window,  and  in  the  glare  of 
the  burning  thatches  I  saw  a  tatt  villain  spin  round 
in  the  street,  ere  he  pitched  full  length  in  the  road- 
way, dead ! 

181 


1 82  THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON. 

"  What  is  it,  Will  ?  "  I  shouted. 

"  Pirates  !  "  came  the  laconic  answer,  and  I  heard 
the  ring  of  the  ramrod  as  it  thudded  home  a  fresh 
charge. 

No  need  for  the  answer ;  the  scene  itself  made 
manifest  the  cause  of  the  uproar.  Betwixt  us  and 
the  beach  a  full  hundred  of  murderous-looking  ruf- 
fians were  surging  along,  busy  with  their  hellish 
attempts  at  fulfilling  Dew's  threat  of  cutting  every 
throat  in  Pwllwen.  But  a  dear  boast  they  found 
that  was,  for  every  cottage  was  a  castle,  with  pistol 
or  musket  to  blaze  from  its  porthole  windows,  and 
a  cutlass,  half-pike,  or  axe,  to  deal  swift  death  to 
the  first  who  should  cross  the  threshold  of  a  bursten 
door.  So  fierce  a  reception  had  they  met  that  they 
had  fallen  to  another  method,  thrusting  torches 
into  the  thatch  eaves  so  as  to  smoke  the  defenders 
out  or  roast  them  to  death  in  their  own  homes. 

All  this  I  took  in  at  a  glance,  so  vividly  was  it 
set  forth,  and  in  the  same  glance  saw  that  half  a 
dozen  of  the  pirates  were  rushing  towards  the 
Black  Lion,  carrying  torches  of  burning  straw.  No 
time  to  lose  !  quick  as  a  flash  I  snatched  my  mus- 
ket from  the  table  and  fired  full  at  the  body  of  the 
foremost  ruffian.  Instant  with  the  pull  he  fell, 
and,  as  if  that  had  been  a  signal  to  fire,  from  the 


THE  JEWEL    OF   YNYS  GALON.  183 

other  windows  of  the  house  rang  out  a  volley 
which  tumbled  four  of  the  rest  into  the  dust,  for 
Tom  Ostler  and  Jenkin  Potman  were  both  old 
poachers. 

The  main  body  of  the  pirates  had  noticed  the 
destruction  of  their  advanced  party,  and  now  they 
whipped  up  their  muskets  and  fired  a  straggling 
volley  at  the  house.  I  heard  a  sharp  cry  from  the 
window  immediately  beneath  me,  and  looking  down 
saw  the  body  of  poor  old  Pryce  Aubrey  fall  head- 
long out  of  it,  and  settle  into  a  quivering  heap  on 
the  cobble  stones  in  front.  The  sight  of  that  bleed- 
ing form,  the  grey  hair  streaked  with  crimson,  that 
which  an  hour  ago  had  been  so  kind  and  true  a 
friend  to  me,  filled  me  with  a  fury  which  even  the 
burning  thatches  had  not  roused,  and  I  could 
scarcely  see  to  ring  home  the  ramrod  for  the  tears 
that  rushed  to  my  eyes.  Yet  I  laughed  too ;  the 
tears  were  more  of  rage  than  sorrow. 

I  heard  the  rush  of  feet  outside ;  the  pirates 
were  coming  on  afresh.  Ready  again,  I  poured  in 
my  fire,  but  though  I  dropped  my  man,  I  saw  him 
rise  to  his  knee  and  whip  up  his  musket  to  answer 
me.  Yet  I,  mad  and  burning  for  revenge,  noted 
with  grim  satisfaction  that,  though  the  other  four 
defenders  each  brought  down  his  man,  the  re- 


1 84  THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON. 

mainder  of  their  comrades  never  faltered.  Then 
the  fury  drove  me  to  a  thing  as  reckless  as  well 
could  be.  Dropping  my  gun,  I  seized  the  sword 
and  pistols  from  the  bed,  and  venting  a  yell  worthy 
of  the  devil  I  was  become,  put  my  foot  upon  the 
window-sill  and  leaped  right  out  in  front  of  the 
charging  horde  which  surged  at  that  instant  up  to 
the  door. 

Blindly  I  rushed  at  the  nearest,  a  broad,  black 
villain  as  ever  went  to  hell,  and,  before  he  could 
shape  to  raise  a  guard,  I  smote  him  at  the  line  of 
neck  and  shoulder  and  clove  him  a  handbreadth 
down.  As  he  fell  the  whole  band  turned  to  over- 
whelm me,  and  so  throng  they  came  that  they  had 
not  space  to  swing  their  cutlasses,  and  neither 
could  they  point  a  pistol  for  the  jostling.  Well 
was  it  for  me  then  that  Will  Barry  had  loaded 
the  brass  blunderbuss  with  grape,  and  that  his  aim 
was  so  true  as  he  fired  into  the  mass  of  heads 
below.  Down  went  the  stricken  ones  as  when  a 
rock  crashes  into  the  sapling  pines,  and  while  I 
raised  a  pistol  and  fired  into  them  I  heard  those 
of  Will  and  the  rest  cracking  loose  also.  Then  a 
dark  mass  from  above  leaped  down,  and  my  foster- 
brother,  the  red  light  from  the  burning  roof-trees 
gleaming  on  his  pale  face,  and  the  lightning  of 


THE  JEWEL  OF  YNYS  GALOtf.  185 

battle  flashing  from  his  dark  eyes,  rushed  past  me 
with  clubbed  blunderbuss  and  fell  upon  the  cursing 
crew. 

With  that  the  fierce  joy  of  battle  flared  up  in 
me,  burning  away  all  thoughts  and  feelings  save 
the  one  overmastering  desire  for  slaughter,  and, 
with  a  kind  of  sob  of  ecstasy,  I  dashed  in  after  my 
Paladin.  I  felt  rather  than  knew  that  Evan  Land- 
lord and  his  two  men  had  joined  us,  and  I  shouted 
again  as  I  leaped  like  a  wolf  upon  a  giant  negro 
and  ran  him  through  the  throat  till  the  hilt  swished 
into  the  bubbling  blood  that  let  his  life  out  into 
the  night.  Instant  and  by  instinct  I  saw  one  on 
the  left  thrust  at  me  with  a  cutlass,  and  while  I 
parried  with  the  empty  pistol  another  rushed  in 
and  seized  me.  I  laughed  in  derision  at  him  who 
would  close  with  a  wrestler,  and  dropping  the 
sword  I  set  a  lock  on  him  and  threw  him. 

But  he  could  not  fall  to  the  ground  at  first  for 
the  press,  till,  as  he  hung  half-way,  the  villain  next 
him  drew  back  to  smite  at  me,  and  he  went  clutch- 
ing down,  while  the  hurly  closed  over  him  again 
and  hid  him  from  sight,  to  be  found  next  morning, 
a  shapeless  mass  of  blood  and  broken  bones. 

As  he  disappeared  it  seemed  that  half  a  dozen 
brawny  hands  seized  me  and  began  to  drag  me 


1 86          THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON. 

under  the  circling  blades.  But  just  as  I  was  ex- 
pecting sudden  death  I  heard  a  roar  of  dry  rage, 
and  past  me  gleamed  a  weapon  all  horrible  with 
grey  brains  and  crimson  with  blood  that  dropped 
from  it  as  it  swung.  It  was  the  brass  butt  of  the 
blunderbuss  in  Will  Barry's  hands,  and,  as  it  fell 
upon  the  nearest  skull,  smashed  it  to  pulp. 

A  gout  of  blood  and  brains  struck  me  in  the 
mouth,  and  ere  I  could  spit  it  away  another  blow 
had  dropped  another  villain.  Rousing  myself  I 
rose,  just  in  time  to  catch  the  broadaxe  as  it  fell 
from  the  grasp  of  Evan  Landlord,  where  he  went 
down  beside  me,  his  jugular  vein  torn  wide  from  a 
musket-ball  at  arm's  length  range.  I  saw  the  mus- 
keteer, and  even  as  his  jaws  wagged  out  an  oath 
of  self-credit  I  brought  the  broadaxe  cleanly  down 
upon  his  crown. 

Through  skull  and  face  together  the  mighty 
edge  hewed  in,  cutting  in  twain  the  foul  tongue 
and  cleaving  asunder  the  wagging  jaws,  and  he 
went  down  in  bloody  token  of  the  good  axe's 
weight,  while  I  swung  on  to  join  my  foster- 
brother,  where  he  fought  like  the  soul  of  battle 
incarnate.  But  as  my  leap  from  the  window  had 
brought  the  whole  pirate  crew  upon  us,  so  it  had 
slacked  the  pressure  upon  the  cottages,  and  their 


THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON.  187 

inmates  took  advantage  of  the  shifting  of  the 
hurly  to  escape,  such  of  them  as  could. 

But  for  two  families  this  was  all  too  late,  and 
they  lay  still  while  the  flesh  upon  their  bones 
hissed  and  spluttered  as  the  blaze  enveloped  them, 
while  they  died  as  the  damned  in  perdition  live,  — 
by  the  flame. 

Jenkin  Potman  was  already  gone  under,  and 
now  Tom  Ostler  went  down,  shot  in  half  a  dozen 
places,  and  gaping  from  as  many  gashes  of  the 
steel,  and  we  two  were  left  alone  with  our  backs 
to  the  house-front  and  our  faces  to  the  friends  in 
the  street.  Now,  too,  they  seemed  to  see  where 
their  mistake  had  lain,  and  began  to  open  out  and 
prepare  to  shoot  us  down. 

Dick  Shon  !  Dick  Shon  !  Ah  !  God  be  thanked 
for  Dick  Shon.  Just  now,  when  Death  seemed 
reaching  for  us,  I  heard  his  voice  cheering  from 
the  other  side  of  the  mob  of  our  assailants,  who 
turned  with  one  accord  to  look  behind  them  where 
a  score  of  stubborn  and  vengeful  men  had  fallen 
on  their  rear.  Quick  as  they  turned  Will  Barry 
leaped  at  them  and  I  followed.  The  sweep  of  his 
weapon  was  like  the  very  garner-stroke  of  Death 
itself,  while  the  broadaxe  in  my  hands  shore  asun- 
der man  and  musket  both,  though  I  no  longer 


1 88  THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON. 

laughed  or  shouted  at  the  deed.  In  the  centre 
of  the  street  we  met  the  band  of  Dick  Shon, 
pikes  and  cutlasses,  with  Ower  Vawr,  the  smith, 
swinging  the  shear  of  a  plough  that  laid  a  swath 
before  him,  wide  as  the  tallest  reaper  ever  made 
in  the  ripest  corn.  Only  ten  of  them  were  stand- 
ing, but  we  cheered  to  see  them,  and  set  up  a 
fierce  shout  of  defiance  as  we  plunged  afresh  into 
the  press  of  foes. 

Yet  if  we  were  brave  our  enemies  were  stub- 
born, and  now  they  gauged  our  numbers,  and, 
taking  fresh  heart,  charged  us  again  with  new 
hardihood,  cursing  us  the  while  and  yelling  threats 
of  vengeance.  Step  by  step  they  bore  us  back,  in 
spite  of  the  terrible  club  that  held  Death  in  its 
reach,  and  in  spite  of  the  ploughshare  that  swept 
into  Eternity  whatever  it  smote.  We  had  been 
twelve,  we  were  now  seven.  The  smith  was 
down ;  Dick  Shon  went  down  ;  and  there  seemed 
nothing  for  it  but  selling  our  lives  dearly. 

Then  from  the  bridge  behind  rung  out  a  shout 
that  brought  up  memories  of  a  hundred  fields. 
"Dolgoch!  Dolgoch!"  and  I  heard  the  rush  of 
my  father  and  his  men. 

"Dolgoch!  Dolgoch!"  we  took  up  that  hoar 
battle  shout,  like  new  life  to  us,  and  in  another 


THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON.  189 

instant  my  father  dashed  through  us,  followed  by 
a  wedge  of  men,  with  Huw  Trooper  of  them  all  to 
keep  close  to  his  elbow  and  pick  off  any  foe  who 
might  be  too  pressing. 

Back,  backward  then  we  bore  the  lately  exulting 
villains,  and  over  the  cracking  of  pistols  and  the 
din  of  musketry  rose  the  fierce  yell  of  "  Dolgoch  ! 
Dolgoch!"  to  be  the  death  knell  of  the  starkest 
scoundrels  in  their  band. 

But  just  when  I  thought  all  was  won  came  the 
fiercest  peril'of  the  night.  From  over  the  bridge, 
even  by  the  path  of  our  succour,  came  a  new  rush, 
and  I  glanced  over  my  shoulder  in  time  to  see 
Hopkyn  Gam  go  under  before  the  onslaught  of  a 
new  body  of  pirates,  led  by  Dew  in  person.  My 
shout  of  warning  came  too  late  for  Will  Barry, 
and  as  I  turned  I  stumbled  wearily  over  the 
corpse  at  my  feet,  just  in  time  to  escape  the  pis- 
tol bullet  of  Dew,  who,  never  pausing,  rushed  on 
to  cut  down  my  foster-brother. 

He,  sore  pressed  in  front,  turned  too  late  to  do 
more  than  avoid  the  cut  by  stooping,  and  ere  he 
could  lift  again  to  swing  his  weapon,  the  empty 
pistol-barrel  of  the  other  fell  with  crushing  force 
upon  his  head,  stretching  him  senseless  upon  the 
bloody  heap  at  his  knee.  Then  once  more  I  heard 


190  THE  JEWEL  OF  YNYS  GALON. 

a  new  shout ;  a  new  band  appeared,  and  Morris 
Las  charged  in  with  the  lugger's  crew  and  scat- 
tered the  weakened  pirates  like  chaff. 

It  was  the  old  doctor  who  dragged  me  out  from 
under  the  tangle  of  dead  and  asked  me  earnestly 
where  I  was  wounded  ;  and  it  was  the  parson 
whose  anxiety,  as  he  bent  over  me,  failed  to  see 
how  needless  was  the  lantern  in  his  hand,  in  the 
midst  of  that  woful  light  hemming  in  the  street. 
Battered  and  breathless  as  I  was,  I  staggered  up- 
right. "Nay,  doctor,  winded,  not  wounded,"  but 
the  weary  jest  came  nigh  to  choking  me  as  I 
thought  of  my  foster-brother.  Kneeling  beside  him 
I  lifted  his  head,  not  more  bloody  than  his  hands 
and  clothing,  and  begged  the  doctor  to  look  to 
him. 

"Ah,  poor  Will!"  I  heard  him  say,  and  at  that 
tribute  of  pity  I  believed  at  once  my  Paladin  was 
dead,  and  stood  upright  again  without  waiting  to 
hear  more.  My  feet  and  hands  seemed  heavy  as 
lead  as  I  lurched  away  in  the  track  of  the  brawling 
flight ;  the  dull  hate  gnawing  in  my  heart  impelling 
me  on,  and  my  brain  too  sodden  to  even  prompt 
me  to  pick  up  a  weapon. 

Upon  the  beach  the  pirates  had  been  forced  to 
turn  to  bay  in  order  to  gain  time  for  the  foremost 


THE  JEWEL  OF  YNYS  GALON.  19! 

to  launch  their  boats  which  the  receding  tide  had 
left  stranded.  In  the  midst  of  the  press  I  saw 
my  father,  attended  by  Huw  Trooper,  cutting  and 
thrusting  with  a  cool  precision  that  afterwards 
astonished  me  when  I  came  to  think  it  over.  I 
had  always  looked  to  see  him  fight  in  hot  and  head- 
long fury,  but  I  recognised  now  that  this  was  a  far 
more  deadly  fashion  of  swording. 

I  felt  a  ferocious  joy  in  watching  each  telling 
thrust,  and  smiled  in  unholy  admiration  when,  with 
his  left  hand,  he  coolly  set  the  ruffle  of  his  shirt- 
bosom  anew  where  it  had  become  awry.  His  every 
movement  dubbed  him  "  gentleman,"  and  I  tri- 
umphed in  the  thought  that  I  was  his  son. 

Then  I  caught  a  glimpse  of  a  face  I  remembered, 
and  pushing  forward  to  my  father's  elbow,  I  cried 
in  his  ear : 

"Dew!  Dew!  he  killed  Will  Barry!  Yonder, 
sir!"  not  calling  him  "father,"  since  he  was  now 
in  so  punctilious  a  mood  —  as  was  plain  to  be 
noted  in  each  trick  of  fence  and  turn  of  wrist. 

For  an  instant  the  news  stung  him  out  of  his 
calm.  "  Diaoul ! "  Then  he  smiled  grimly  as  he 
pistolled  the  pirate  in  front,  to  gain  time  for  a 
proper  resumption  of  his  guard  and  worship. 

But  now  one  of  the  boats  was  afloat.     Instantly 


'192          THE  JEWEL  OF  YNYS  GALON'. 

as  many  of  the  villains  as  could  leaped  into  her 
and  pushed  off,  leaving  the  last  half  dozen  to  perish 
on  the  shingle  in  a  vain  attempt  at  defence. 

"  To  the  boats,  lads.  After  them,  and  lay  their 
ship  aboard ! "  yelled  old  Morris,  pointing  to 
where,  not  three  cables'  lengths  away,  the  weird 
outlines  of  a  ship,  hove  to,  glowed  ghostly  with  the 
reflection  of  the  dying  conflagration  behind  us.  So 
quickly  was  the  order  obeyed  that  Las  himself  had 
scantly  time  to  leap  aboard  ere  the  long  boat  had 
pushed  off  and  was  pulling  with  mighty  sweeps  to 
reach  the  ship.  I  had  tumbled  in  the -instant  the 
cry  was  given,  and  now  as  we  tore  on  I  fixed  a 
hungry  gaze  upon  the  vessel  which,  as  I  thought, 
held  the  man  I  longed  to  see  slain.  To  our  sur- 
prise, however,  there  was  no  attempt  to  repel  us  as 
we  swarmed  over  her  rail,  and  on  all  the  deck  was 
only  one  fantastic  figure,  standing  beside  the  helm, 
with  a  hideous  face  shining  like  a  gnome's  in  the 
gleam  of  the  binnacle  light.  Into  the  empty  fo'c'sle 
rushed  half  our  party,  while  Las  and  the  rest  dashed 
aft  for  the  steersman.  As  we  came  into  the  rays 
of  the  single  lantern  hung  in  the  after  stays,  the 
figure  before  us  set  up  a  shrill  cry  of  astonishment 
and,  loosing  his  grasp,  dived  down  the  companion 
to  the  cabin  below. 


THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON.  193 

It  was  Rwst  Clanna,  who,  being  fleetest,  was 
the  first  to  reach  the  stair  and  dive  after  the 
gnome.  Old  Morris,  following  hard  after,  had 
barely  got  half-way  down  ere,  with  an  oath  of 
fiercest  wrath,  he  tore  back  to  the  deck,  followed 
close  by  what  seemed  a  moving  pillar  of  fire, 
whence  emanated  appalling  shrieks  of  agony. 
Sharp  as  it  reached  the  top  old  Morris  seized  it 
by  the  middle  and  tossed  it  overboard,  immediately 
after  collaring  the  nearest  man  and  shouting  in  his 
ear,  "  That  is  Clanna !  Over  with  you  and  take 
him  to  the  boat.  Lively  now !  " 

Quick  was  the  word  as  the  rescuer  went  over, 
and  at  once  we  heard  him  sing  out,  "  Easy,  all ; 
Rwst,  I'll  take  you  round  to  the  boat." 

Meanwhile  the  rest  of  us  hesitated  at  this  mys- 
terious danger.  I  was  trying  to  push  through, 
but  old  Las  pulled  me  back.  "That  devil  thing 
smashed  one  lamp  over  Clanna's  head  and  slung 
the  other  through  a  port  in  the  bulkhead  —  that's 
the  way  to  the  powder  magazine.  Give  me  a  gun, 
somebody." 

Seizing  a  proffered  musket,  he  stole  warily 
down  again,  I  close  at  his  heels,  nearly  choking, 
for  the  smoke  was  beginning  to  rise  thickly.  As 
we  reached  the  lower  steps  we  could  just  discern 


194  THE  JEWEL    OF  YNYS  GALON. 

through  the  burning  the  grotesque  figure  of  the 
pirate,  crouched  in  the  far  corner  of  the  cabin  as 
if  ready  to  spring.  He  held  a  pistol  in  each  hand, 
but  as  he  stretched  them  to  shoot,  a  red  tongue  of 
flame  caught  the  pans,  and  the  bullets  splintered 
harmlessly  above  us.  With  a  shrill  jabbering  he 
flung  the  empty  weapons  at  us,  and  then,  drawing 
a  long  knife  and  stooping  his  bald  pinnacle  of  a 
skull  before  him,  he  made  a  fierce  rush  at  us 
through  smoke  and  flame  and  all.  Steady  stood 
old  Las,  with  the  musket  at  his  hip,  until  that 
hideous  head  was  almost  touching  the  muzzle. 
Then  with  the  report,  as  he  pulled  the  trigger, 
the  head  disappeared  while  the  body  fell  along 
with  a  grisly  furrow  opening  the  whole  length  of 
its  back. 

"  Back  to  the  boats  again  ! "  shouted  our  leader, 
"the  fire  will  be  into  the  magazine  in  a  minute. 
Back !  " 

Up  we  went,  pell-mell,  yelling  the  warning  to 
those  in  the  fo'c'sle  as  we  scrambled  over  and 
dropped  into  the  boat.  The  instant  we  were  all 
aboard  we  shoved  off,  pulling  with  might  and  main 
to  get  well  clear  of  the  burning  ship,  whose  masts 
and  rigging  had  now  caught.  Higher  and  higher 
lifted  the  flames,  flickering  first  in  coltish  glee  up 


THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON.  195 

the  surface  of  each  sail,  and  twinkling  up  stay  and 
shroud  until  they  gathered  strength  and  volume 
and  the  whole  ship  was  one  roaring  mass  of  fire. 

"  Pull,  lads  !  Pull !  "  shouted  old  Morris  in  new 
energy.  "  Get  to  the  beach  or  she  will  blow  us 
out  of  the  water  when  she  goes."  No  need  to 
repeat  that  order ;  the  danger  was  plain  to  every 
man,  and  the  rowers  bent  to  it  till  I  thought  they 
would  drive  the  bow  under.  Hardly  had  we  grated 
her  upon  the  shingle  and  scrambled  out  and  away, 
ere  the  whole  world  seemed  to  resound  with  a 
mighty  crash,  and  the  red  flame  of  the  ship  be- 
came a  lurid  flash,  in  which  we  saw  fragments 
flying  in  every  direction.  Then  followed  total  ex- 
tinction, and  all  the  sea  was  dark  again,  save 
where,  at  scattered  intervals,  flickered  a  rail  or  a 
timber  still  feebly  burning,  and  ere  the  echoes  had 
ceased  to  roll  along  the  hills  the  catastrophe  was 
accomplished  :  the  "  Wauhoo  "  was  gone. 


CHAPTER   XV. 

IN    WHICH    I    COME    TO    NO   SMALL    HONOUR. 

WHEN  the  last  man  on  the  beach  was  fallen, 
my  father  had  taken  boat  to  follow  us.  His  crew, 
however,  had  seen  our  hurried  retreat  and  put 
back  in  time  for  him  to  be  landed  and  waiting  to 
receive  us. 

"  Well,  men,"  he  cried,  as  soon  as  the  explosion 
was  over,  "  that  fray  was  as  well  foughten  as  ever 
a  fray  was.  But  we  must  attend  to  the  wounded 
now.  God  help  you  !  Gentlemen  all."  His  voice 
shook  a  little  with  the  last  words  :  he  could  see 
how  every  man  seemed  to  lose  his  stubborn  car- 
riage at  the  mention  of  the  wounded,  and  knew 
that  each  one  would  find  both  dead  and  hurt 
amongst  his  people,  since  we  were  all  akin.  Fe- 
verish haste  usurped  the  place  of  defiant  eager- 
ness as  we  set  about  our  doleful  errand. 

I  myself  had  not  taken  two  strides  before  I  felt 
my  father's  arm  about  my  shoulder,  supporting 
my  dragging  steps.  I  knew  the  sympathy  which 

196 


THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON.  197 

prompted  that  pressure,  but  the  only  words  he 
spoke  were  an  inquiry  as  to  whether  I  was  hurt 
or  no.  "  No,  father  ;  it  is  Will !  "  answered  I. 

We  kept  straight  on  till  we  reached  the  spot 
where  my  foster-brother  had  fallen.  He  was  lying 
at  full  length  on  his  back,  his  head  pillowed  upon 
a  corpse,  and  it  was  curious  that  the  first  thing  I 
noticed  was  his  shirt-front  being  torn  away  and 
the  Jewel  gone.  Then  the  tears  began  to  swim 
in  my  eyes,  and  down  I  knelt  beside  him,  weeping 
outright,  and  caring  nothing  for  my  new  manhood 
or  who  might  be  watching  me. 

A  kindly  touch  upon  my  shoulder  roused  me. 
It  was  the  doctor,  who,  seeing  my  grief,  had  inter- 
rupted his  task  of  attending  the  wounded  long 
enough  to  step  over  and  comfort  me.  "  Nay,  nay, 
Ivor !  not  slain ;  not  slain ;  only  stunned.  Get 
him  carried  inside  somewhere  and  send  for  his 
mother  to  nurse  him." 

"Thank  God!  "  It  was  my  father  whose  voice 
was  so  emphatic,  and  I  remembered  that  he  too 
loved  my  foster-brother.  And,  as  if  for  token  of 
it,  he  took  the  prone  man  by  the  armpits,  while  I 
raised  his  lower  limbs,  and  together  we  bore  him 
to  his  bedroom  at  the  Black  Lion.  There  was  no 
need  to  send  for  his  mother,  though.  For  all  the 


198  THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON. 

parson's  fostering,  the  blood  in  her  veins  was 
pirate  blood,  and,  prompt  at  the  first  alarm,  she 
had  roused  the  maids  and  bidden  them  follow  her 
to  carry  the  wounded  out  of  the  fight  and  bind 
them  up  and  tend  them.  Yet  her  courage  faltered 
when  I  told  her  that  her  son  was  hurt,  and  she 
suffered  me  without  opposition  to  support  her  to 
his  bedside.  Then,  as  if  the  unconscious  brain 
had  known  her  coming,  the  life  came  back  to  him 
in  a  long  fluttering  sigh,  and  the  deep  eyes  opened 
slowly.  But  she  would  not  let  him  speak,  strok- 
ing his  face  and  touching  and  soothing  him,  as  a 
mother  does,  though  no  man  knows  just  how,  and 
I  turned  and  passed  out  with  a  heart  as  light  as  a 
feather  by  comparison  with  ten  minutes  ago. 

Long  before  morning  that  house  and  its  out- 
buildings were  like  some  great  shambles.  Our 
own  dead  were  laid  out  in  rows  in  the  barn  be- 
hind ;  the  pirates  were  left  where  they  fell.  Half 
the  cottages  were  burnt,  from  the  beach  up  to  that 
of  Dick  Shon,  and  the  rest  were  crowded  with 
wounded,  many  of  whom  were  women  and  chil- 
dren. The  Black  Lion  also  was  full  in  every  room 
with  groaning  sufferers,  and  in  its  coach-house 
lay  ten  wounded  pirates,  half  of  whom  died  before 
dawn.  The  tenants  from  the  farms  about,  who  had 


THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS   GALON.  199 

not  been  able  to  reach  the  scene  in  time  for  the 
battle,  now  fell  to  helping  us  in  tending  the 
wounded,  while  my  father  had  sent  up  a  party  to 
strip  Dolgoch  of  everything  that  could  minister  to 
the  comfort  of  the  hurt  ones.  Never  shall  I  forget 
that  night.  The  wailing  of  the  desolate,  the  moan- 
ing of  bleeding  women,  the  sharp,  hissing  breath 
through  the  clenched  teeth  of  men  who  strove  thus 
to  repress  their  groans  :  all  were  awful  to  listen  to. 
Yet  I  think  it  was  the  pitiful  crying  of  the  little 
ones,  who  knew  no  reason  for  the  wounds  that 
gaped  in  their  tender  bodies,  which  most  un- 
manned us. 

Day  broke  upon  a  ghastly  scene,  the  street 
grisly  with  clotting  blood  and  littered  with  rigid 
bodies  right  down  to  the  water's  edge.  Two  and 
ninety  corpses  of  them  we  counted,  besides  those 
in  the  coach-house,  and,  alas  !  to  these  we  pictured 
the  forty  of  our  own  people  lying  in  the  barn,  be- 
sides the  calcined  human  ashes  in  the  burnt-out 
cottages.  The  glamour  of  battle  seemed  to  become 
a  very  tawdry  spectacle  in  the  cold  light  of  that 
dawn  as  it  pitilessly  reached  into  the  dim  nooks 
and  corners,  exposing  the  whole  horrid  scene  of 
blood  and  ashes ;  while  out  to  seaward  not  a  ves- 
tige remained  of  the  great  pirate  ship.  As  for 


200  THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON. 

myself,  I  shuddered  as  I  remembered  the  feelings 
which  had  possessed  me  during  the  contest.  To 
the  now  raw  edge  of  my  conscience  I  seemed  to 
have  been  some  foul  deformity  possessed  by  the 
Spirit  of  Darkness.  You  see,  gentle  reader,  that 
was  my  first  battle,  and  this  my  first  counting  of 
the  cost,  and  the  feelings  that  attend  both  are 
never  repeated  in  a  man  through  all  his  life,  though 
he  follow  the  trade  of  war  till  death  cuts  him  short. 
By  this  time  I  had  learnt  all  there  was  to  know 
about  the  attack  besides  what  I  have  already  told 
you.  It  seemed  that  Dick  Shon  from  the  street 
had  spied  a  ghostly  vision  of  a  ship  close  inshore, 
and,  striding  down  to  the  beach,  had  reached  the 
edge  of  it  just  in  time  to  hear  boat  after  boat  grind 
on  the  shingle  in  landing  till  he  had  counted  five. 
Then  came  a  sound  of  men  leaping  ashore,  after 
which  the  boats  pushed  off  again,  though  he  could 
make  out  only  a  confused  blur  whence  the  sounds 
issued.  He  decided  at  once  that  these  were  the 
pirates. 

Turning  to  warn  the  village,  his  foot  crunched 
away  the  stones  beneath,  and  sharp  at  the  sound 
came  a  challenge  from  the  mass.  Heedless  of 
that,  he  commenced  to  steal  away,  when,  to  his 
dismay,  he  heard  the  rush  of  men  and  knew  that 


THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON.  2OI 

they  were  after  him.  I  have  said  that  he  was 
worthy  of  the  trust  old  Morris  delegated  to  him, 
and  now  he  proved  it.  Turning  without  hesita- 
tion, he  waited  till  they  came  within  a  dozen  paces, 
and  then  emptied  his  musket  full  butt  into  them. 
Next  instant  he  fired  both  pistols  in  the  same 
direction,  and,  never  pausing,  leaped  against  the 
mob  with  brandished  cutlass,  shouting  in  English, 
"  Come  on,  lads !  some  of  you  capture  their  boats 
and  cut  them  off,"  as  though  he  led  a  new-come 
army. 

The  suddenness  and  audacity  of  the  surprise 
made  its  success,  for  the  foremost  pirates,  believ- 
ing that  the  whole  village  was  upon  them,  fell  back 
at  once  upon  those  remaining  at  the  water's  edge, 
and,  ere  they  discovered  their  mistake,  Dick  Shon 
was  speeding  along  the  street,  wildly  shouting  as 
he  passed  each  window  :  "  Rouse  out !  rouse  out ! 
the  pirates  are  landing." 

This  timely  warning  it  was  which  enabled  the 
cottagers  to  make  so  fierce  a  defence,  and  undoubt- 
edly made  it  possible  to  beat  off  the  murderous 
horde  of  cutthroats  at  last,  though  at  so  sore  a 
cost. 

Old  Morris'  story  was  even  shorter.  Coming 
home  with  the  lugger,  he  was  within  a  mile  of  the 


202  THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON. 

strand  when  he  first  made  out  the  "Wauhoo,"  as 
she  ran  up  a  single  light  in  the  mizzen  stays.  At 
the  same  time  the  flame  first  shot  up  in  the  vil- 
lage, and,  without  stopping  to  examine  the  stranger, 
he  headed  for  a  point  some  two  hundred  yards 
west  of  the  boat  landing,  where  the  deep  water 
came  close  in,  and  there,  boldly  beaching  her,  had 
led  his  crew  at  once  to  decide  the  fortune  of  the 
fight. 

"  And  it  was  a  rare  thing  Dick  Shon  went  down 
when  only  the  first  half  of  the  pirates  had  landed, 
or  else  it  would  have  been  all  over  before  the  lug- 
ger could  have  beached,"  concluded  old  Las. 

My  father  also  explained  a  thing  which  had  puz- 
zled me,  and  that  was  the  apparition  of  Dew  from 
so  unexpected  a  quarter.  When  the  stable  lad  rode 
up  and  roused  the  Hall  my  father  had  crowded  all 
ten  of  the  men  on  the  place  into  the  light  car- 
riage—  whose  horses  were  standing  harnessed  in 
the  stalls  —  and  half-way  down  the  avenue  had 
driven  full  tilt  into  a  gang  of  pirates,  —  Dew  and 
a  boat's  crew  on  their  way  to  attack  Dolgoch  and 
recapture  the  Jewel.  Of  course  the  horses  scat- 
tered them,  and  as  soon  as  my  father  and  his  peo- 
ple began  to  jump  down  and  lay  about  them,  they 
bolted  anywhere  out  of  reach.  Then  the  carriage 


THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS   GALON.  203 

had  started  again  for  the  gates,  where  the  succours 
all  formed  up  and  my  father  led  them  with  such 
effect  over  the  bridge.  After  which,  I  suppose, 
Dew  gathered  his  crew  once  more  and  followed, 
since  he  would  believe  that  the  wearer  of  the 
Jewel  had  now  gone  to  Pwllwen. 

"  And  he  got  the  Jewel,  after  all,  father  !  "  said 
I  sadly. 

"  Never  mind  that,  Ivor.  It  is  no  good  to  him 
till  he  tries  to  use  it.  Then  we  shall  see  what 
Will  Barry  has  to  say  in  the  matter, — that  is," 
he  added,  "if  the  fellow  was  not  blown  up  or 
drowned  last  night." 

This  last  correction  had  reference  to  the  fact 
that  we  had  not  found  Dew's  body  amongst  the 
slain.  But  I  contended,  and  old  Morris  was  in- 
clined to  back  me  in  the  matter,  that  Dew  was 
still  alive,  and  capable  of  giving  trouble  afresh. 
The  pirates  had  used  five  boats  of  various  sizes, 
and  of  these  four  remained  on  the  beach  in  our 
possession.  One,  and  as  we  judged,  the  largest, 
had  got  away  crowded  with  men  ;  amongst  whom 
Dew  must  have  been.  Now,  we , had  followed  so 
swiftly  as  to  give  them  no  time  to  gain  their  ship 
and  hide  effectually  from  us,  not  to  mention  the 
improbability  of  their  yielding  the  ship  in  so  cow- 


204          THE  JEWEL   OE  YNYS  GALON. 

ardly  a  fashion.  Therefore  I  judged  that  Dew, 
believing  that  the  "Wauhoo"  must  be  taken,  had 
simply  rowed  on  in  the  darkness ;  and  we,  having 
afterwards  the  glare  of  the  ship  between  us  and 
them,  had  failed  to  detect  the  boat  out  in  the  open 
sea. 

With  the  sunrise  it  became  possible  to  accu- 
rately total  up  our  losses.  Of  my  father's  house- 
hold four  were  slain  outright  and  five  were 
wounded,  including  Will  Barry.  Pryce  Aubrey, 
whose  death  had  so  enraged  me,  kept  company 
with  Walter  Tygwn,  Evan  Woodcutter  and  John 
Gardd.  I  sighed  mournfully  as  I  thought  of  them  ; 
the  hounds  would  whine  and  look  in  vain  for  the 
coming  of  Tygwn  —  and  would  the  forest  ever  be 
the  same  again  without  old  Evan's  axe,  or  the 
gardens  so  trim  with  John  Gardd  dead  ? 

And  in  the  village  Dick  Shon  had  just  had  his 
leg  sawn  off  by  the  doctor,  and  half  his  left  hand 
was  lying  somewhere  under  the  blood  in  the 
street.  Evan  Landlord  was  dead,  and  Will  Ostler 
with  him  ;  and  so  on  through  a  long  and  dismal 
catalogue.  No  wonder  then  that  when  the  full 
of  it  was  told  to  my  father  he  turned  his  face  to 
the  wall  to  hide  the  tears  that  fell  like  rain,  or 
that  old  Morris  stalked  away  to  the  beach,  and 


THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON.  205 

there,  straining  his  gaze  to  seaward,  indulged  his 
grief  in  his  own  way. 

Before  the  sun  was  two  hours  high,  help  came 
pouring  in  from  Pengareg  and  the  villages  beyond, 
and  magistrates  spurred  in  to  assist  my  father  in 
the  matter  of  taking  depositions,  or  as  to  any 
other  point  upon  which  they  could  be  of  service. 
The  great  tithebarn  just  by  the  bridge  was  cleared 
out,  swept  and  garnished  for  their  accommodation ; 
and  thither  at  length,  after  having  first  gone  the 
round  of  the  village,  — "  that  place  of  blood  and 
bandages,"  as  one  of  them  did  call  it,  — they  held 
a  long  sitting,  with  my  father  to  direct  them,  and 
the  first  witness  to  be  called  was  myself. 

Of  course  I  made  no  mention  of  the  Jewel  of 
Ynys  Galon,  and  the  affair  was  treated  as  a  simple 
attack  of  pirates.  The  parish  did  not  desire  to 
have  all  the  world  prying  into  its  private  concerns, 
and  Pwllwen  had  always  loyally  kept  the  story  of 
Ynys  Galon  to  itself,  —  just  as  a  family  will  carry 
a  high  countenance  before  the  world  and  keep  its 
loves  and  griefs  and  skeletons  for  its  own  hearth. 

Now,  my  story  to  the  magistrates  was  a  very 
good  one  as  I  thought,  for  I  told  them  all  about 
Will  Barry  and  his  terrible  club,  with  the  deeds  of 
him  which  set  my  pulses  leaping  only  to  repeat 


206          THE  JEWEL  OF  YNYS  GALON. 

them.  I  told  them  too  of  the.mighty  axe,  and  how 
Evan  Black  Lion  had  wielded  it :  of  the  stubborn 
death  of  Will  Ostler :  of  the  prowess  of  Dick  Shon, 
and  the  might  of  Owen  Vawr,  the  smith.  And 
then  I  spoke  with  glowing  pride  of  my  father's 
gallant  bearing,  keeping  my  voice,  as  I  believed, 
to  a  tone  of  due  reverence.  Therefore  was  I 
greatly  grieved  when  he  hastily  excused  my  fol- 
lowing the  point  of  his  own  doings  further;  for, 
look  you,  I  was  but  gotten  as  far  as  his  first  onfall, 
and  had  not  yet  had  time  to  say  so  much  as  one 
word  of  all  his  high  countenance  in  that  last  stub- 
born clashing  on  the  beach.  This  disappointment 
did  so  much  put  me  out  of  conceit  with  myself  that 
I  greatly  fear  I  did  scant  justice  to  the  bravery  of 
old  Morris  Las.  And  I  felt  mightily  hurt  thereby, 
as  I  found  myself  stumbling  through  the  few  sen- 
tences that  should  have  been  a  panegyric  tripping 
as  glibly  from  my  lips  as  ever  a  Latin  declaration 
did  from  those  of  Master  Slimjeans,  upon  a  speech 
day  at  school. 

As  I  have  said  above,  I  did  consider  this  to  be 
a  very  pretty  and  complete  relation  of  all  that 
night's  doings,  and  was  greatly  astonished  when, 
at  its  conclusion,  their  worships  flashed  out  upon 
me. 


THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON'.          207 

"  What,  sir !  Is  that  all,  sir  ?  Have  you  noth- 
ing to  tell  of  Ivor-y-Fwyall  ? "  (that  is  to  say,  "  Ivor 
of  the  Axe,"  meaning  myself,  whose  first  blow  with 
that  weapon  had  made  such  show  that  their  wor- 
ships had  inquired  of  my  father  concerning  it). 

Then  they  went  on  to  rally  me,  too,  concerning 
the  leap  from  the  window,  and  many  other  passages 
which  occurred,  besides  some  that  occurred  not  : 
from  which  I  suppose  they  had  been  hearkening 
to  wounded  men's  tales,  whose  vision  and  memory 
must  have  been  confused,  as  I  reckoned  from  what 
the  magistrates  quoted.  And  as  I  heard  these 
things  I  grew  hot,  as  one  being  made  to  appear 
foolish,  and  thereupon,  turning  to  my  father,  I 
prayed  his  permission  to  depart,  saying  that  I  had 
not  yet  breakfasted,  and  was  hungry.  I  even  so 
far  forgot  the  reverence  due  to  him  as  to  hasten 
away  ere  he  could  answer  me,  for  I  heard  one  gen- 
tleman say  loudly  to  another,  "  So  modest !  Egad, 
sir !  and  in  this  generation  too,  when  young  men 
cock  their  noses  at  old-fashioned  virtues !  Gad, 
sir  !  Diaoul !  " 

So  uncomfortable  I  grew  at  all  ,this  that  I  was 
fain  indeed  to  come  at  the  door  which  Huw  Trooper 
opened.  But  I  was  not  done  hearing  yet,  for,  as  I 
passed  out,  their  worships  cried  in  a  body,  "  Good- 


208  THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON. 

morning,  Mister  Meyric,"  at  which  I  was  so  aston- 
ished that  I  forgot  to  be  angry  till  the  door  was 
closed,  and  it  was  too  late  to  turn  back  and  let 
them  know  that  there  was  no  such  person  in  Pwll- 
wen.  Dolgoch  there  was,  and  Ivor  Ap  Griffith  Ap 
Howel  I  was ;  but  who  this  other  person  was  — 
and  so  forth,  etc.,  in  my  own  mind,  till  I  grew 
furious  with  wrath,  and  vowed  that  a  decent,  honest 
pirate  was  more  to  my  taste  any  day  than  a  dunder- 
headed  magistrate.  And  to  soothe  my  feelings  I 
hunted  up  old  Morris  and  demanded  some  break- 
fast, though  this  was  past  ten  of  the  clock. 

The  witnesses  examined  were  my  father,  the 
parson,  Doctor  David,  myself  and  old  Las,  with 
the  depositions  of  Will  Barry  and  Dick  Shon,  by 
which  list  the  reader  will  understand  that  our 
affairs  were  kept  in  safe  hands,  and  all  was  legal 
and  regular  and  pleasant  —  vastly  comforting,  in- 
deed, to  all  the  parish.  For  one  thing,  you  see,  the 
revenue  officers  had  come  down  in  a  swarm,  think- 
ing themselves  safe  on  such  a  day,  and  hinting  that 
the  place  had  been  harried  by  smugglers.  Now,  the 
lugger  was  lying  up,  as  big  as  a  barn  and  as  bold  as 
brass,  on  the  beach,  plain  for  all  folk  to  see,  and 
crammed  to  the  gunwales  with  contraband.  But 
the  magistrates  soon  gave  these  nosers  to  under- 


THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON.  209 

stand  that  this  was  no  time  to  interfere  with 
honest  men's  bit  of  shifting  for  a  living,  and  that 
a  dead  excise  man,  more  or  less,  could  easily  be 
put  down  to  the  account  of  the  pirates,  and  alto- 
gether, in  fact  —  and  here  the  gangers  took  the 
hint  and  their  departure  together,  while  old  Morris 
lounged  on  the  crown  of  the  bridge  and  opined  in 
their  ear,  as  they  passed,  that  "  there  was  some  fine 
Hollands  in  Rhyd-y-voel  now,  he  shouldn't  won- 
der." Which  hint,  being  in  English  and  referring 
to  an  affair  very  mortifying  to  the  preventive  offi- 
cers, caused  them  all  to  swear  till  their  tormentor 
avowed  that  "they  made  a  blue  fog  which  was 
wicked." 

Then,  towards  evening,  the  lord  lieutenant  came 
coaching  down  with  a  whole  host  of  deputy  lieu- 
tenants, and  the  high  sheriff  to  boot. 

Said  old  Morris  from  the  bridge  as  he  watched 
them  :  "  'Twas  like  as  if  Pwllwen  was  London 
Town  when  the  lords  ride  in  to  Parliament  and 
the  King  clanks  in  with  the  gold  crown  on  his 
head,  and  all  the  archbishops  sing  '  Amen ' 
solemn." 

And  jangling  down  at  the  heels  of  these  came 
some  old  Morris  sniffed  at.  They  were  soldiers 
come  in  haste  from  the  coach  town  to  protect,  as 


210  THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON, 

I  suppose,  the  "  aristocracy,  nobility  and  gentry  " 
at  present  in  the  village,  for  I  sniffed  also  when 
their  officer  alluded  in  my  hearing  to  his  having 
ridden  over  to  protect  the  "town."  If  he  had 
said  "Dolgoch"  or  "Pwllwen"  I  think  I  should 
have  challenged  him  —  which  would  have  vastly 
astonished  him,  no  doubt ;  while,  as  I  opine,  he 
would  have  collapsed  completely  had  I  referred 
him  to  old  Las  as  my  second,  which  I  should 
have  done,  there  being  no  one  else  handy. 

Of  course  the  notabilities  were  all  to  tarry  over- 
night in  my  father's  house,  which  was  taxed  to  the 
utmost.  Not  that  my  father  so  much  as  turned  a 
hair  when  Huw  Trooper  brought  word  from  the 
kitchen  that  the  bedrooms  would  hold  no  more. 
"  What  matter  ? "  quoth  he.  "  Diaoul !  Has  the 
stuff  in  my  cellars  lost  its  flavour  and  strength  ? 
The  hall  and  its  tables  will  dine  a  regiment,  and 
as  for  bedrooms,  Gad !  I'll  warrant  there  will  be 
more  of  them  sleep  under  the  table  than  under 
sheets  and  blankets.  It  is  the  dinner  I  am  troub- 
ling about." 

"  Never  fear  for  that,  sir ;  Mistress  Elice  is  down 
in  the  kitchen,"  Huw  Trooper  answered  assuringly. 

"  But  I  thought  we  stripped  the  house  this 
morning,"  protested  my  father. 


THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON.  211 

"  And  indeed,  sir !  how  long  were  we  to  let  the 
house  be  bare  ?  Did  not  we  send  off  the  pack 
horses  to  the  houses  of  the  magistrates  while  you 
were  sitting,  and  fetch  home  enough  to  plenish  a 
garrison  ? " 

"  Gad !  Huw  Trooper :  the  whole  country  will 
be  agog  with  a  jest  that  Dolgoch  sent  round  the 
hat  for  food  when  friends  dropped  in  to  dine. 
Diaoul !  " 

"Ah !  but  they  will  change  that  after  you  stretch 
the  first  of  them.  Your  play  with  the  rapier  is 
too  clean  and  pretty  for  the  best  of  them  :  they 
will  turn  to  saying  that  Dolgoch  levied  tribute,  as 
his  father  did  before  him.  And  right,  too,  say  I." 

At  which  my  father  laughed,  and  shook  the  hand 
of  the  old  veteran  who  had  so  relieved  him  of  a 
difficulty. 

"Mistress  Elice,"  as  my  foster-mother  was  always 
called,  was  indeed  looking  after  things  in  the 
house,  for  Will  Barry  was  by  now  so  far  recov- 
ered that  she  felt  justified  in  leaving  him.  In 
fact,  as  the  doctor  said,  if  it  had  not  been  for  the 
weakness  from  his  previous  wound  the  crack  on 
the  head  would  have  mattered  little ;  but  the  weak- 
ness and  the  exhaustion  consequent  upon  the  fury 
of  his  exertions  in  the  fight  had  made  a  serious 


212  THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON. 

matter  of  what  would  otherwise  have  been  of  no 
moment. 

"  But  he  is  a  living  miracle,  none  the  less,"  per- 
sisted the  doctor.  "  How  else  could  he,  in  the 
state  he  was,  leap  out  of  that  window  and  swing 
that  brass  club  at  such  a  terrible  rate?  It  is  a 
miracle ! "  and  the  brave  old  medico  extended  his 
snuff-box  to  his  "  brother-in-arms,"  as  he  called 
the  parson  after  their  joint  doings  amongst  the 
wounded.  Whereupon  I  begged  that  he  would 
honour  me  also  with  a  pinch  ;  for  an  honour  I 
deemed  it,  after  last  night,  to  take  snuff  with 
them. 

Presently  word  came  from  my  father  that  I  was 
to  dine  with  himself  and  his  guests  this  evening, 
and  accordingly,  after  asking  my  foster-brother  for 
the  hundredth  time  if  there  was  not  even  a  little 
thing  more  which  I  could  do  for  him,  I  started 
off  up  the  avenue,  in  high  spirits  at  the  prospect. 
Honours  grew  upon  me,  for,  my  room  having  per- 
force been  given  up  to  the  high  sheriff,  my  father 
led  me  into  his  own,  wherein  the  lord  lieutenant 
was  arranging  his  toilet  for  the  table,  saying  that  I 
should  have  to  use  that  for  a  dressing-room,  where 
indeed  I  found  all  my  new  clothes  set  out  ready  to 
my  hand.  And,  behold  you  !  the  great  man  him- 


THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON.  21$ 

self  turned  at  once  upon  my  entering,  speaking 
kindly. 

"Ah,  Dolgoch  !"  (you  will  note  my  father's  po- 
sition amongst  the  gentlemen  of  the  land  by  the 
familiar  address  of  his  lordship)  "  and  is  this  our 
hero  of  the  leap,  our  Knight  of  the  Axe  ?  A  gal- 
lant sprig  he  is,  and  will  be  a  credit  to  his  name, 
like  his  father  before  him,  I  warrant ; "  and  he 
pinched  my  ear  till  I  felt  very  proud. 

Moreover,  when  I  had  donned  my  smart  apparel, 
French  sword  and  all,  my  father  put  a  fine  ring 
upon  my  ringer,  and  his  lordship  swore,  with  a 
courtly  oath,  that  I  was  as  proper  a  young  gentle- 
man as  he  ever  saw,  and  that  I  ought  by  rights  to 
be  up  in  London  with  a  commission  in  Somebody's 
regiment  of  Horse  ;  adding,  "  It  is  a  pity  there 
are  no  ladies  to  dine  with  us  to-night.  Gad  !  I 
should  like  to  watch  them  ogling  for  him." 
Whereat  my  father  laughed,  and  I  bowed  myself 
out,  with  a  face  as  red  as  fire  from  blushes. 

At  the  dinner,  too,  I  was  placed  well  up  amongst 
my  father's  kinsmen,  coming  betwixt  the  second 
and  third  cousins,  and  presently,  lo  you  !  my  lord 
lieutenant  sends  word  round  that  he  desired  I 
would  do  him  the  honour  of  taking  wine  with 
him.  Diaoul !  I  was  become  a  man  with  a  ven- 


214  THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON. 

geance.  Then,  too,  when  the  cloth  was  drawn 
and  the  wine  was  going,  there  came  a  string  of 
toasts,  and  amongst  them  all  one  to  myself,  no 
less,  with  words  of  praise  to  it,  and  laughs  and 
cheers  to  greet  it,  making  me  so  proud  that  I 
tossed  off  a  glass  to  it  myself,  and  we  all  laughed 
again  at  my  mistake.  And  so  many  pretty  things 
were  said  of  me  that  you  would  have  thought  I 
was  the  Prince  of  Wales,  or  a  deputy-lieutenant  at 
least. 

After  all  of  which,  my  father,  who  had  pre- 
viously instructed  me,  made  a  sign,  in  accordance 
wherewith  I  rose  and  took  my  leave  with  a  very 
grand  bow  to  the  company,  pleading  my  duty,  as 
having  the  care  of  the  wounded  in  my  father's  nec- 
essary absence,  and  so  left  them  to  the  potations 
customary  to  the  gentlemen  of  that  day. 

That  leave-taking,  as  I  afterwards  found,  was  so 
well  carried  on  my  part  as  to  cause  his  lordship  to 
swear  roundly  that  I  was  wasted  amongst  such  old 
fogies  (meaning  himself  and  the  company),  and  that 
he  would  write  at  once  to  his  cousin,  the  Duke  of 
Flint,  and  get  me  a  commission  in  a  fashionable 
regiment.  And  moreover  he  kept  his  word,  though 
that  does  not  belong  to  this  narration. 


CHAPTER   XVI. 

IN  WHICH  I  MAKE  AN  EXPEDITION  AFTER  TREASURE. 

NEXT  morning  the  lord-lieutenant  desired  my 
company  for  an  airing  in  the  garden,  during  which 
his  clerk,  or  officer  in  attendance,  brought  for  his 
perusal  the  report  of  the  magistrates  upon  the 
harrying  of  the  village.  Dismissing  the  other,  he 
sat  down  under  the  great  oak,  motioning  me  to  sit 
also  while  he  ran  his  eye  over  the  document.  Pres- 
ently he  began  to  read  aloud  my  evidence,  inter- 
larding it  with  a  running  commentary  of  ejaculatory 
admiration. 

"  Fine  !  vastly  fine  !  Gad,  sir !  Od's  bodkins  " 
(he  was  of  the  old  school),  and  so  on,  finishing  by 
producing  his  snuff-box  and  requesting  me  to  hon- 
our him  by  exchanging  with  him.  Then  I  was 
forced  to  confess  that  I  was  not  yet  come  to  that 
dignity  of  carrying  one,  whereat  he  laughed,  as 
being  tickled  out  of  himself,  swearing  that  I  should 
have  his  in  any  case,  and  that  he  would  wait  for 
the  exchange  till  I  could  send  him  one  from  Lon- 
215 


2l6  THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS   GALON. 

don  (which  I  was  afterwards  careful  to  do,  and  had 
out  a  young  sprig  who  vowed  that  it  was  a  patch- 
box  which  I  was  intending  to  present  as  a  love 
token  to  a  certain  fine  lady,  so  elegant  and  modish 
a  one  did  I  take  pains  to  procure).  Thereafter  he 
kept  me  by  him  till  his  coach  was  driven  round  for 
his  departure,  upon  which  at  last  coming  to  pass, 
I,  at  the  door  of  the  chariot,  begged  him  to  accept 
a  pinch  from  "  my  "  snuff-box ;  whereat  he  was  so 
mightily  tickled  that  my  father  forewent  his  aston- 
ishment and  paid  great  heed  when  his  lordship 
commended  me  as  being  a  credit  to  him. 

After  this,  at  due  intervals,  departed  the  deputy- 
lieutenants  and  high  sheriff,  and  presently  we 
were  left  with  only  my  father's  kinsmen  to  let  us 
back  gently  into  the  usual  daily  round  of  existence. 
If,  indeed,  that  could  be  called  usual,  when  so  many 
of  our  people  were  gone  forever,  and  so  many  more 
were  maimed  and  scarred  for  life. 

When  the  last  coach  was  out  of  sight  and  the 
last  soldier's  coat  had  vanished,  I  made  haste  to 
find  the  doctor  and  the  parson  and  exchange 
pinches  of  snuff  with  them,  being  eager  indeed  to 
have  their  praise  and  admiration  of  my  new  pos- 
session and  the  honour  of  it  to  me.  And  thereat 
we  grew  as  courtly  and  crusted  over  the  ceremony 


THE  JEWEL  OF  YNYS  GALOAT. 

as  if  we  had  been  three  fossils  surviving  from  the 
court  of  two  generations  agone. 

Upon  this  scene  suddenly  appeared  my  father, 
graciously  requesting  that  he  should  be  included 
in  the  function,  and  thereafter  bursting  out  with  a 
great  sigh,  "  Ah,  my  son,  if  I  only  had  the  money 
which  I  spent  up  in  London  when  I  was  a  young 
springald,  how  well  would  we  improve  this  oppor- 
tunity for  your  advancement." 

"Money!"  cried  I  in  fine  disdain,  as  became 
such  a  favourite  of  fortune.  "  Sir  !  within  a  week, 
or  ten  days  at  farthest,  I  shall  bring  you  the  bowels 
of  the  Spanish  galleon  —  I  will  find  the  treasure 
of  Ynys  Galon  !  " 

"  I  wish  you  might,  Ivor,"  replied  my  father  with 
a  dolorous  smile,  "for  this  affair  has  been  most 
costly,  and  there  will  be  so  much  the  more  needed 
now,  with  the  widows  and  orphans  and  all  in  the 
village,  poor  things !  and  the  cottages  to  build 
again  for  them.  Heigho  !  Diaoul !  I  am  becom- 
ing melancholy." 

"  Melancholy,  sir  !  I  will  give  you  an  admixture 
of  mine  own  discovery  which  shall(  cure  that  same 
melancholy  in  a  twinkling  —  exorcise  it,  sir,  as  the 
parson  here  would  a  ghost.  Come,  sir,"  and  the 
doctor  led  the  way  inside  immediately. 


2l8          THE  JEWEL  OF  YNYS  GALON. 

"  I  fear,  however,  good  David,  that  the  Spanish 
ingots  would  be  a  more  lasting  cure  to  my  ailment," 
responded  my  father,  as  we  went. 

I  did  not  follow  to  the  dispensing  of  the  admix- 
ture, lest  perchance  one  should  be  concocted  for 
me  into  the  bargain.  Rather  I  hurried  off  to 
delight  the  ears  of  my  foster-brother  with  the 
recounting  of  this  further  good  fortune.  It  is 
a  goodly  thing  to  come  to  honour,  and  a  goodlier 
far  to  have  a  rare  friend  with  whom  to  share 
the  pleasure  of  it. 

My  father's  words,  however,  stuck  in  my  mind, 
and  ere  long  I  broached  them  to  Will.  He 
smiled  sadly  as  I  spoke  of  them,  though  the 
only  word  he  said  was,  "  It  is  a  fine  thing  to  be 
a  young  man  in  London,  or  to  be  an  older  man 
visiting  the  Bath  every  year  —  but  it  is  a  costly 
one  to  boot." 

All  this,  as  the  reader  will  understand,  set  me 
very  stubborn  to  go  over  and  find  the  buried 
treasure.  I  could  not,  of  course,  go  within  the 
next  two  or  three  days,  or  until  things  should 
have  settled  down  into  something  more  like 
ship-shape.  For  instance,  there  were  the  burnt 
cottages  to  be  repaired  and  their  rude  furniture 
to  be  replaced,  as  well  as  a  plan  of  defence  to  be 


THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON.          219 

established  against  any  possible  return  of  Dew. 
This  plan  was  that,  for  the  next  two  weeks,  the 
tenants  should  come  into  the  village  with  their 
arms  every  evening  at  the  edge  o'  dark  and  lie 
in  the  great  tithe  barn  to  sleep,  returning  to  their 
farms  at  daybreak.  The  lugger,  moreover,  was 
to  be  got  off  and  taken  to  its  usual  hiding-place, 
and  old  Morris  and  her  crew  were  to  stay  at  home 
for  the  same  period.  Will  Barry  was  getting 
on  so  well,  that  on  the  third  day  he  was  up  once 
more,  and  by  the  sixth  seemed  to  be  quite  recov- 
ered :  almost  as  strong  as  before  the  knife-wound 
even.  Therefore  I  had  no  longer  any  compunc- 
tion in  planning  to  load  up  the  skiff  and  start 
for  the  island  "to-morrow." 

I  made  full  preparation  this  time.  Provisions 
ample  for  a  week,  not  forgetting  one  long  bottle 
of  brandy  against  accidents,  and  half  a  dozen  of 
sack  as  beverage.  The  sword  which  I  had 
dropped  in  the  fight  had  been  found  and  re- 
turned to  its  old  place  at  Will's  bedhead,  but  in 
its  place  I  took  a  short  seaman's  hanger.  The 
great  musket,  of  course,  and  pistols :  carrying 
therewith  good  store  of  powde"r  and  shot.  Be- 
sides all  these,  I  took  pick  and  shovel,  drills, 
hammer  and  gad,  an  axe  and  several  coils  of 


220  THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON. 

strong  rope.  To  this  assortment  I  added  a 
numerous  parcel  of  candles ;  and  after  surveying 
the  whole  as  they  lay  snugly  stowed  in  the  skiff, 
I  could  think  of  nothing  lacking  save  a  supply  of 
long  nails,  which  I  speedily  procured  —  and  then 
that  boat  was  fit  to  set  up  a  new  Robinson  Crusoe 
in  another  desert  island. 

All  this  was  done  in  the  evening  of  the  sixth 
day,  and  my  father  even  seemed  to  be  struggling 
with  a  secret  and,  as  he  no  doubt  regarded  it, 
fantastic  hope  that  I  might  succeed. 

Old  Morris  was  to  escort  me  to  the  island  with 
a  long  boat  full  of  Ap  Morgans,  as  became  my 
dignity,  and  after  landing  my  stores,  was  to  leave 
me  to  my  own  devices ;  for  I  had  stipulated 
that  I  should  be  allowed  three  days  in  which  to 
try  alone,  agreeing  that  if  I  then  failed,  I  would 
come  home  and  share  in  a  joint  expedition  of  us 
all.  I  do  think  that  it  was  a  belief  in  my  luck, 
engendered  by  my  wonderful  good  fortune  of  the 
last  week  or  two,  which  prevailed  to  win  the 
sanction  of  everybody  to  my  assuredly  boyish 
notion. 

Early  then,  upon  the  morning  of  the  seventh 
day  after  the  attack,  I  took  leave  of  my  father 
and  the  others  congregated  upon  the  beach  to 


THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON.          221 

witness  my  departure,  and  set  sail  for  the  island  ; 
Mat  Anthony  steering  the  long  boat  and  Morris 
Las  in  charge  of  the  skiff,  for  he  simply  declined 
to  let  me  sit  unaccompanied  in  her.  "  No  !  no  !  " 
said  he,  "you  may  be  alone  after  you  land,  but 
not  before,  Ivor  boy." 

Old  Morris  sent  the  long  boat  through  the 
neck  first  to  reconnoitre,  and  see  that  there 
were  no  signs  of  pirates  about  Treforgan.  They 
soon  returned,  reporting  all  clear,  and  the  skiff 
was  at  once  taken  in  tow  and  speedily  hauled 
through  and  made  fast  to  the  steps  by  the  side 
of  the  harbour  within.  My  equipments  and  bag- 
gage were  next  landed  and  stowed  in  the  kitchen, 
and  I  was  touched  to  find  that  my  foster-mother, 
ever  mindful  of  so  heedless  an  one  as  I,  had  added 
a  change  of  clothing  complete. 

The  body  of  Dickson  we  found  exactly  as  I  left 
it,  from  which  we  argued  that  Dew,  in  escaping, 
had  not  touched  Ynys  Galon.  Nevertheless,  old 
Morris  despatched  half  a  dozen  men  to  range  over 
the  whole  island  to  make  sure,  while  the  rest 
lent  a  hand  to  getting  the  grisly  body  to  the 
water's  edge,  and  towing  it  astern  of  the  boat  out 
to  sea  to  be  there  loaded  with  stones  and  sunk. 
Thereafter,  a  fire  was  kindled  in  the  middle  of 


222  THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON. 

that  room  and  damped  with  green  weeds,  so  as  to 
make  a  great  smoke  and  thus  cleanse  away  the 
foul  stench  which  pervaded  everything.  This 
accomplished  and  all  the  men  returned,  old  Mor- 
ris produced  a  bottle  of  rum,  and  once  more  the 
Ap  Morgans  and  I  pledged  each  other,  I,  how- 
ever, being  by  this  time  regarded  with  something 
approaching  reverence,  for  old  Morris  had  told 
them  about  the  Jewel's  return,  and  they  had  at 
once  fallen  into  a  belief  that  the  long  expected 
day  was  at  hand,  when  they  would  take  the  places 
of  their  mother's  people  and  I  should  come,  in  the 
course  of  nature,  to  be  their  covenanted  protector, 
according  to  the  compact  with  Morgan  Ddu.  For 
not  one  of  them  doubted  the  near  recovery  of  the 
Jewel. 

Then  they  were  gone  and  I  stood  alone  on  the 
island. 

My  first  care  was  to  shoulder  my  musket  and 
thoroughly  explore  the  surface  of  the  island;  no 
long  or  intricate  task,  as  it  proved,  for  its  main 
features  were  very  simple.  Take  first  a  plateau, 
from  two  to  three  hundred  feet  high,  and  extend- 
ing something  like  three  miles  from  southwest 
to  northeast.  Let  it  be  roughly  heart-shaped 
and,  upon  the  point  of  the  heart,  that  is,  the 


THE  JEWEL  OF  YNYS  GALOtf.          22$ 

southwest  end,  place  a  semicircular  hill,  rising 
about  as  high  again.  Crown  this  with  a  huge 
earn  of  stones,  and  let  its  convex  slope  fall  steeply 
down  to  the  cliffs,  while  its  concave  side  opens 
to  the  northeast,  half  enclosing  a  little  circular 
plain  wherein  stands  a  ring  of  giant  stones,  and, 
in  the  centre  of  these,  one  huge  cromlech,  some 
twelve  feet  square  and  three  thick.  From  the 
immediate  edge  of  the  little  plain,  inland,  let  the 
ground  fall  sharply  away  in  a  close  pent  valley 
which,  leading  northeastward,  becomes  first  a 
narrow  glyn  and  then  at  its  mouth  a  strait  ravine  ; 
little  more  than  a  cleft  in  fact.  Just  before  it 
comes  to  this,  however,  draw  two  smaller  ravines 
from  either  side,  and  let  the  waters  of  the  three 
conjoin  in  a  silvery  little  stream,  which  tinkles 
out  upon  a  little  harbour  —  that  of  Treforgan,  to 
wit.  Let  the  three  glyns  be  almost  impenetrable 
from  tangled  wood :  scatter  a  few  thickets  of 
birch,  hazel  and  mountain  ash  in  any  little  depres- 
sion of  the  general  plateau :  cover  the  rest  with 
bracken,  gorse,  heather,  short  grass  and  such  like 
herbage ;  here  and  there  let  a  bare  rib  of  rock 
show  through,  and  in  conclusion  you  will  have 
a  very  workable  outline  of  the  island  of  Ynys 
Galon. 


224          THE  JEWEL  OF  YNYS  GALON1. 

One  other  feature  of  it,  however,  requires  special 
mention  ;  that  is,  the  Jaws. 

Imagine  the  southwest  point  of  the  island 
scooped  out  into  a  little  bay  of  perhaps  twice  the 
size  of  the  harbour  of  Treforgan.  Let  the  two 
horns  of  this  be  lofty  walls  of  rock,  whose  original 
line  has  been  dashed  and  washed  away,  ground 
down  as  it  were  by  the  ever  gnashing  sea  below 
into  a  double  line  of  grinning  rocks,  whose  black- 
ness stands  vividly  out  amongst  the  white  churn- 
ing of  the  breakers  surrounding  them.  Run  a 
forked  cleft  in,  till  the  top  of  its  main  branch 
from  seaward  opens  to  the  grass  roots  of  the 
crescent  hill  above ;  and  in  that  cleft,  and  round 
those  rocks,  and  in  the  space  between,  see,  raging 
and  roaring,  tossing,  rearing,  breaking,  spuming, 
a  horrid  hell  of  water,  never  resting,  never  ceas- 
ing, forever  howling,  gnashing  in  hideous  rage  ; 
and  that  is  what  is  known  as  the  "  Jaws  of  Ynys 
Galon." 

Ynys  Galon,  however,  as  I  have  previously  said, 
is  not  the  ancient  name  of  the  island,  and  dates 
back  no  farther  than  the  advent  upon  it  of  Morgan 
Ddu.  Before  his  day  it  had  always  been  known 
as  Ynys  Belre  ;  whereby  hung  many  and  horrible 
tales.  It  was  said,  that  in  the  far-off  days,  one 


THE  JEWEL  OF  YNYS  GALON.  22$ 

Belre,  a  gibbering  hag  of  heart-shaking  aspect, 
had  dwelten  upon  it.  She  had  a  husband  in  a 
pitiless  ogre,  named  "  Nuada,"  who  haunted  the 
cliffs  and  rocks  and  treacherous  seas  about  it, 
seizing  and  dashing  to  pieces  any  ship  venturing 
within  range  of  it,  devouring  the  shrieking  crews 
before  each  other's  eyes,  roaring  and  champing 
with  a  blood-freezing  din,  as  his  horrible  seaweed- 
hung  taeth  crushed  body  and  bones  in  bloody 
mass  together.  Sometimes  he  tossed  a  victim 
upon  the  island,  where  his  devilish  wife  would 
seize  upon  it  and  drag  it  to  the  cromlech.  There 
she  would  perform  most  hideous  cruelties  upon 
it,  cutting  up  the  body  as  butchers  do  a  carcass, 
catching  the  blood  in  that  cup-like  hollow  in  the 
centre  of  the  stone  and  drinking  it ;  whereafter 
she  would  light  a  fire  and  roast  the  flesh  before 
eating  it,  being  so  much  more  of  a  Christian  than 
her  husband,  who  devoured  his  raw. 

But  Urien  Rheged,  from  whom  the  line  of  Dol- 
goch  is  descended,  at  last  swore  that  he  would  no 
longer  suffer  their  cruelties,  and  on  a  day  he  took 
ship  from  his  royal  court  on  tjie  mainland ;  he 
being  the  stoutest  king  of  his  day.  Sailing  over, 
he  slew  Nuada  in  the  seas,  and  then,  landing  at  the 
harbour,  caught  Belre  at  her  foul  feeding,  and  forth- 
Q 


226  THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON. 

with,  after  a  short  struggle,  dragged  her  to  the 
summit  of  the  crescent  hill  and  slew  her ;  where 
the  great  earn  marks  the  site  of  his  justice  to  this 
day.  Folk  said,  however,  that  though  Belre  was 
dead  and  her  husband  slain,  yet  the  spirit  of  Nuada 
was  doomed  to  welter  forever  in  the  range  of  his 
fearful  cruelties.  Therefore,  he  still  dashed  ships 
to  pieces ;  still  crushed  the  boats,  still  swallowed 
the  seamen,  but  now  without  a  body  to  be  seen. 
His  chiefest  lurking-place  was  in  the  Jaws  ;  as  was 
shown  by  the  never-ceasing  rage  of  their  waters, 
though  he  was  wont  also  to  lie  in  wait  upon  the 
rocks  beside  the  seaward  line  of  Trwynhir,  which 
therefore  were  known  as  "The  Teeth,"  and  the 
whirl  and  suck  of  the  seas  behind  became  thus 
"Nuada's  Throat." 

It  was  from  this  old-world  tale  of  far-off  hor- 
rors that  the  Ap  Morgans  had  named  their  ship 
"  Nuada's  Fleshhook,"  and  called  the  stone  circle 
"Nuada's  House,"  because  here  the  ogre  had  been 
wont  to  visit  his  hag  wife ;  whose  great  stone  they 
spoke  of  always  as  "  Belre's  Hearth." 

All  these  dark  and  bloody  tales  flashed  across 
my  mind  as  I  strode  along  the  upland,  but  the  day 
was  too  young,  the  sun  too  glorious,  and  the  breath 
of  the  south  too  sweet  for  my  soul  to  gather  terror 


THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON.  22/ 

at  their  sombre  passage.  Perhaps,  also,  the  errand 
I  was  on  had  a  deal  to  do  with  the  full  swing 
marking  my  pulses,  and  the  old  war  song  which  I 
chanted  as  I  went.  It  is  a  right  glorious  thing  to 
be  a  boy  and  believe  in  buried  treasures. 

When  I  came  to  the  little  spring  at  the  ravine 
head  under  "  Nuada's  House,"  I  found  it  to  be  a 
bowl  of  solid  rock,  with  a  pent-house  sort  of  crag 
for  covering,  and  in  its  tinkling  deeps  —  a  full  ell 
that  was  by  measurement  —  I  thought  I  could  dis- 
cern strange  implements.  "Perhaps,"  said  I  to 
myself,  "  though  this  bowl  cannot  well  hold  the 
galleon's  cargo  of  itself,  yet  there  may  be  some- 
thing choice  in  here." 

Thrusting  my  arm  into  the  shoulder  and  follow- 
ing that  with  head  and  neck,  I  reached  down  till  I 
could  clutch  and  bring  up  the  things  I  had  seen. 
Here  was  a  strange  find,  indeed,  but  not  seeming 
to  relate  in  any  way  to  what  I  sought.  Two  arrow- 
heads made  of  amethyst,  unpolished ;  such  ame- 
thyst as  is  found  upon  the  Welsh  coast.  One 
javelin-head  of  bronze  and  two  spear-heads  of  iron, 
caked  together,  and  almost  shapeless  from  rust. 
Not  much  indication  of  gold  ingots  in  that.  Drop- 
ping these  cheerfully  upon  the  grass,  my  hopes  no- 
wise abated,  I  stuck  my  head  once  more  into  the 


228          THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON. 

little  cavern  above  the  bowl,  and  gazed  again  into 
its  waters.  Suddenly  a  strange,  low  moaning 
sounded  in  my  ear,  and  a  little  breath  of  wind 
struck  chilly  on  my  forehead,  the  two  together 
causing  me  to  spring  away  and  draw  a  pistol.  So 
startled  was  I  that  it  needed  a  full  minute  before 
my  wits  remembered  that  this  must  be  the  spring  I 
had  so  often  heard  of  in  my  childhood.  For  the  old 
wives  of  Pwllwen  had  come  to  believe,  like  gospel, 
that  the  witch  of  the  Ap  Morgans  had  been  a  rein- 
carnation of  Belre's  self,  and  that  when  she  leaped 
into  the  Jaws  it  was  because  Nuada  saw  that  the 
islanders  were  grown  too  few  and  feeble  a  folk  to 
wear  the  mantle  of  his  old  dominion  any  longer. 
He  had  therefore  called  his  wife  to  rejoin  him, 
where  she  now  tossed  and  moaned  in  ceaseless 
longing  for  the  still  greensward  of  the  circle, 
thirsting  for  a  drop  of  the  sweet  wave  of  this 
spring  at  my  feet.  And  the  noise  which  had  so 
affrighted  me  was  her  voice,  which  now,  as  I 
thought  of  it,  I  reckoned  melancholy  beyond  any 
harp  tone  I  had  ever  heard.  Nevertheless,  "  I 
would  not  be  daunted,"  said  I  stoutly,  to  myself, 
"by  any  dead  hag  or  witch  of  them  all,"  and,  cock- 
ing the  pistol  ready,  I  plucked  up  a  short  prayer 
for  protection  and  cautiously  knelt  and  peered  in 


THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON.  229 

again.  In  the  rock  behind,  a  foot  or  so  above  the 
rim  of  the  bowl,  were  two  parallel  cracks,  each  an 
inch  or  so  wide  and  a  hand  length  from  top  to  bot- 
tom. From  one  trickled  the  water,  as  I  saw.  The 
other  was  dry. 

While  I  looked,  the  moaning  burst  again,  rising 
into  a  sort  of  whispered  shriek  which  struck  terror 
to  my  soul.  Shaking  with  dread,  yet  holding  fast 
to  my  courage,  I  jammed  the  pistol  hastily  into 
the  dry  cleft  and  fired.  The  din  was  deafening, 
but  it  revived  my  spirit,  and  I  yelled  through  the 
choking  smoke  in  triumph,  "  Dead !  you  hag ! 
I've  killed  you  !  " 

Then  I  stood  upright  and  shouted  back  along 
the  glyn  to  the  roofless  walls  and  quiet  waters  of 
Treforgan  showing  through  its  straight  mouth 
beyond,  "  Dead  !  Belre  is  dead  !  Aho  !  " 

And,  though  it  was  the  glory  of  a  summer  morn- 
ing that  showed  around,  yet  I  believed,  right  down 
in  my  soul,  that  my  boast  was  true.  And  if  I 
stood  beside  that  circle  now,  with  the  wisdom  and 
experience  of  half  a  century  between,  I  should 
believe  it  again ;  of  that  I  hold  no  manner  of 
doubt. 


CHAPTER   XVII. 

OF    MY    ADVENTURES    IN    THE   JAWS. 

PRESENTLY  I  remembered  that  I  was  here  to 
hunt  for  treasure,  not  supernatural  adventures, 
and,  having  first  reloaded  my  pistol,  I  moved  away 
to  reach  the  earn  of  Belre  on  the  hill-top  behind. 
In  spite  of  my  vaunt  I  did  not  enter  the  circle, 
but  kept  outside  to  the  southern  horn  of  the  hill 
and  climbed  from  there.  I  found  the  earn  one  of 
the  largest  I  ever  saw,  and  with  a  little  sitting 
place  fashioned  in  its  landward  slope  so  that  a 
man  could  station  himself  therein  and  keep  a  clear 
look-out  over  the  whole  circuit  of  the  seas  around. 
That  this  was  the  purpose  to  which  the  islanders 
had  put  the  point  I  had  no  doubt,  and  accordingly 
I  sat  down  in  the  hollow  and  took  a  sweep  of  the 
eye,  lest  by  any  chance  Dew's  boat  might  be 
returning.  But  I  saw  no  sign  of  any  sail,  and 
ere  long  the  roar  of  the  Jaws  below  fascinated 
me  till  I  craned  my  head  over  the  summit  of  the 
earn  to  watch  the  waves  below.  As  I  did  so,  a 
230 


THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON.  231 

blast  of  cold  air  struck  me  in  the  face;  a  far 
stronger  rush  indeed  than  the  puff  above  the 
spring.  Moreover,  this  was  damp  with  the  salt 
breath  of  spray  and  alive  with  the  regular  pulse 
of  dull  booming  surges,  like  the  ghostly  echo  of 
the  turmoil  in  the  Jaws.  The  strangeness  of  it 
struck  me  greatly,  and  I  pondered  long  and 
deeply  as  to  what  it  might  mean.  The  caves 
of  the  island  were  well  known  to  be  upon  the 
southern  coast,  with  none  at  all  to  the  northward. 
This  steady  swing  of  ghostly  seas  could  not  come 
from  them,  for  the  waters  raced  smooth  as  oil  and 
swift  as  fear  along  past  the  line  of  cave  mouths, 
and  so  swept  on  to  "  The  Teeth "  and  the  line 
of  Trvvynhir.  Only  in  the  Jaws  did  the  full 
breasting  movement  of  ocean  find  itself  cabin'd 
by  the  long  armed  cliffs  till  it  leaped  and  roared 
in  impotent  anger.  There  must  be  some  con- 
nection between  that  cauldron  and  this  vent  under 
my  face. 

Yet  it  was  well  known  that  there  was  no  cave 
now  in  the  Jaws.  Formerly  it  had  been  held 
that  the  galleon  was  cast  into  the  mouth  of  one 
there,  but  Morris  Las  had  chosen  a  spring  tide 
and  steered  a  boat  through  the  outer  fringe  of 
the  grinning  rocks  (a  thing  which  no  man  else 


232  THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON. 

on  that  coast  would  have  done  even  if  he  had  seen 
the  galleon's  hull  before  him),  and  had  come  safely 
out  again,  saying  that  no  cave  existed.  And  there- 
after he  never  attempted  to  make  another  search, 
choosing  rather,  as  he  said,  to  range  the  ocean 
for  a  new  galleon  than  to  brave  the  fast  fronted 
cliffs  for  one  lost  long  ago. 

Nevertheless,  I  knew  that  he  and  all  the  Ap  Mor- 
gans firmly  and  devoutly  believed  the  cave  in  the 
Jaws  to  exist,  but  that  the  old  witch  at  her  death 
had,  by  magic,  sealed  it  against  mortal  eyes  till 
the  Jewel  should  once  more  return  to  the  desolate 
haunt  of  its  past  power.  Now  that  Jewel  had 
touched  these  shores  again,  for  Dew  had  worn 
it  when  first  Pierce  Aros  had  steered  him  into 
the  harbour,  and  been  his  guide  and  mentor  in 
his  subsequent  rambles  and  explorations  in  the 
island.  Being  a  boy,  I  had,  of  course,  always 
believed  in  both  cave  and  treasure,  and  naturally, 
as  a  result  of  my  faith  in  old  Las,  believed  that 
it  had  been  hidden  by  the  magic  of  the  witch. 
This  up-cast  of  wet  air  came  from  that  cavern 
then  ;  I  was  sure  that  I  could  almost  smell  the 
ingots  of  silver  and  the  wedges  of  gold.  Almost 
sure !  I  was  certain !  Would  not  the  metal  be 
covered  by  seaweed  and  caked  with  sea  salt,  and 


THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON.  233 

was  not  this  the  very  breath  of  seaweed  and  salt  ? 
Could  anything  be  plainer?  Not  to  me  at  any 
rate,  for  I  think  if  I  had  been  able  to  apply  my 
eye  to  some  orifice  and  distinguish  the  treasure 
in  verity,  I  could  not  have  leaped  upright  and 
shouted  and  capered  in  wilder  uproar  of  sheer 
conviction.  Oho !  and  everybody  in  the  parish 
should  be  rich,  and  Will  Barry  and  the  Morgans 
should  have  a  ship  of  such  wondrous  lines  and 
speed  as  the  King  himself  would  envy.  And  we 
would  all  be  happy,  and  the  doctor  should  ride 
into  Bath  and  flout  his  former  traducers  in  a  coach 
and  four,  with  outriders,  the  parson  sitting  beside 
him  to  appreciate  the  pungent  sarcasm  of  the 
remarks  he  would  make.  Get  the  treasure  out 
of  the  earth,  say  you?  Pshaw!  that  could  be 
done  in  no  time.  Just  toss  the  earn  aside  and 
follow  the  draught  till  the  diggers  reached  the 
cave  —  the  witch  had  forgotten  this  outlet  and 
guide. 

What  a  dull  ditch  life  would  be  if  it  were  noth- 
ing but  a  string  of  happenings,  with  no  picturing 
forward  of  the  things  one  would  do ;  outlined  in 
hope  and  crowded  with  warm  detail  of  happiest 
beauty.  A  fig  for  the  awakening  moment :  begin 
again ! 


234  THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON. 

Nevertheless,  my  exuberance  received  a  little 
shake  when,  after  tearing  away  the  great  stones 
of  the  earn,  I  came  to  the  bare  ribbed  rock  beneath 
and  found  but  a  crack,  into  which  I  could  thrust 
my  open  hand  only  as  far  as  the  swell  of  the  fore- 
arm. Stubborn  yet,  I  ran  to  the  nearest  thicket 
and  cut  therefrom  a  slender  ash  sapling,  some 
fifteen  feet  long.  Returning  with  this,  I  sounded 
with  it  in  the  opening  as  far  as  it  would  reach,  but 
finding,  to  my  huge  disgust,  only  the  solid  frame- 
work of  the  mountain  on  either  side.  For  twenty 
feet,  or  nearly  so  at  least,  the  orifice  continued  as 
small  and  narrow  as  at  the  opening. 

The  blow  was  a  very  severe  one  !  Twenty  feet ! 
that  was  far  more  than  I  could  have  digged  out 
with  drill  and  powder  in  a  month.  It  was  five 
hundred  feet  down  to  the  cave  below  :  years  would 
be  required  for  even  experienced  miners  to  sink 
a  shaft  so  deep  through  the  bowels  of  the  hill. 
But  the  thought  only  made  my  faith  glow  more 
stubborn  and  savage,  and  I  merely  decided  that  I 
must  think  out  some  other  way. 

In  a  measure  my  thoughts  must  now  start  from 
some  new  point,  and  it  occurred  to  me  that,  as  my 
stomach  was  so  pressing  in  the  matter,  this  would 
be  a  wise  time  to  eat.  Accordingly  I  produced 


THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON.  2$$ 

from  the  pockets  of  my  coat-skirt  the  luncheon 
they  had  carried,  and  fell  to,  my  appetite  no  whit 
diminished  by  my  rebuff.  For,  look  you ;  it  was 
something  to  have  so  clearly  established  the  exist- 
ence of  the  cave  at  all. 

From  where  I  sat  upon  the  pinnacle  of  the 
island,  the  seaward  slope  of  the  hill  fell  very 
steeply  down  to  the  cliff  top,  which  in  turn  dropped 
sheer  to  the  water's  edge.  But  the  forked  cleft 
I  spoke  of  ran  up  through  the  cliffs  and  well  into 
the  bosom  of  the  hill.  Through  it  I  could  see 
straight  into  the  wildest  rush  of  the  seething 
waves,  and  could  estimate  the  better  what  they 
meant.  And  yet,  as  I  reminded  myself  over  and 
Over  again,  old  Morris  had  ventured  into  their 
grasp  and  had  come  out  alive.  True,  there  was 
no  other  man,  perhaps,  who  could  or  would  have 
done  it,  but  still,  for  all  that  —  in  fine,  the  reader 
will  see  that  I  was  arguing  against  my  small  stock 
of  discretion  in  favour  of  braving  a  danger.  The 
result  of  such  an  argument  on  the  part  of  a  boy 
just  finishing  a  good  luncheon  can  scarce  need 
telling  —  as  soon  as  the  meal  wats  ended,  I  rose 
and  started  back  for  Treforgan  and  the  skiff.  I 
was  going  to  emulate  the  deed  of  the  old  sea-wolf 
and  sail  into  the  Jaws. 


236          THE  JEWEL  OF  YNYS  GALON. 

I  remembered  that  this  was  a  spring  tide  and 
would  be  top  full  by  the  time  I  could  reach  the 
point  where  I  must  make  my  attempt.  Old  Morris 
had  done  it  on  just  such  a  tide.  Nevertheless,  I 
would  not  rush  at  the  task  in  headlong  foolhardi- 
ness  ;  I  would  take  all  due  precautions.  Reaching 
the  harbour,  I  set  to  at  once  to  cut  gorse,  birch 
twigs  and  heather,  wherewith  to  make  a  running 
fender  extending  all  round  the  skiff,  and  especially 
thick  and  compact  at  the  bows.  I  cleared  her  of 
everything  loose  saving  my  hanger  and  musket, 
which  I  took  in  case  of  meeting  Dew's  boat.  I 
even  left  my  coat  behind,  secreting  the  brandy- 
flask  in  my  breast,  instead  of  its  usual  place. 
Neither  did  I  forget  another  prayer  for  guardance 
against  the  wicked  spirit  of  Nuada. 

And  then  I  pushed  off  and  pulled  through  the 
neck  to  the  open  sea. 

Hoisting  sail,  I  stood  well  out  across  the  current 
till  I  had  gotten  sufficient  offing,  and  then  reached 
over  for  the  foaming  line  at  the  southwest  point 
of  the  island.  Ere  long  I  fetched  abreast  of  it, 
and  if  I  had  not  so  thoroughly  believed  in  the 
theory  of  the  blow-hole  above,  the  first  near  glance 
of  what  I  had  to  face  might  well  have  daunted 
me  or  stilled  a  braver  heart  than  mine.  I  dared 


THE  JEWEL  OF  YNYS  GALON.  237 

not  let  my  mind  speculate  upon  the  consequences 
should  things  not  go  all  in  perfect  order.  Two 
minutes  of  such  thoughts  and,  in  spite  of  my 
boastful  countenance  on  land,  I  should  have  fairly 
turned  tail  and  fled.  Shutting  out  all  such  think- 
ings then,  I  dropped  the  sail,  took  up  the  oars,  and 
with  eyes  glued  to  the  rocks  before  me  sat  amid- 
ships, face  ahead,  and  set  myself  to  keep  the  skiff 
in  hand  as  the  already  quivering  current  began 
to  sweep  her  inshore.  With  a  little  flutter  at  my 
heart  I  took  line  for  a  point  right  in  the  middle 
of  the  barrier,  and  where  the  serried  pinnacles 
thinned  to  a  gap  just  wide  enough  for  oars  to  play 
in.  A  boat's  length  or  so  inward  and  the  passage 
was  barred  by  a  jagged  mass  that  threw  the  current 
into  a  forked  wash  on  either  hand,  and  it  was  this 
bent  channel  for  which  I  was  steering.  My  throat 
felt  as  if  it  were  filled  with  frozen  lead  when  I  had 
come  so  close  that  there  was  no  retreat.  Strenu- 
ously did  I  pull  astern  to  check  the  skiff's  way,  till 
the  great  roller  I  had  marked  advancing  should  lift 
her  for  the  ride  through  that  milk-white  gut  of 
flood.  In  that  instant  my  heart-strings  were  nigh 
to  crack  with  the  suspense  of  it. 

Then  I  felt  the  rise  as  the  great,  white-maned 
charger  swung  the  little  skiff  upon  its  back  and 


238          THE  JEWEL  OF  YNYS  GALON. 

leaped  with  a  wild  roar  upon  the  weltering  pin- 
nacles. Blindly  and  wildly  I  pulled  the  port  oar 
as  I  found  myself  amidst  a  hell  of  yammering, 
clamouring  rocks,  and  all  the  world  one  cauldron 
of  churning,  rearing  billows  that  gibbered  and 
champed  in  horrible  anticipation  of  the  moment 
they  should  seize  me  from  between  those  frail 
planks  and  toss  me  to  howling  Death.  Sixty 
seconds  of  that,  and  my  soul  must  have  spewed 
itself  out  in  very  madness  of  terror,  leaving  my 
body  a  dead,  undrowned  prey  to  the  clutches  of 
Nuada :  to  the  bosom  of  the  undying  witch :  to 
the  unplumbed  deeps  of  the  awful  hurly  about  me. 

Though  I  were  to  live  forever,  I  should  never 
forget  the  spirit-snapping  strain  of  that  passage. 
For  I  won  through.  I  felt  the  blind  oar  grind 
along  a  rocky  surface,  I  felt  it  swish  through  use- 
less foam,  and  then,  God  be  ever  thanked  for  it ! 
I  felt  the  strong  weight  of  deep  waters  and  real- 
ised that  I  was  beyond  the  outer  barrier,  and,  for 
an  instant,  comparatively  safe. 

Dipping  both  oars  to  steady  her,  I  found  the 
skiff  half  full  of  water,  and  I  saw,  too,  that  there 
could  be  no  attempt  to  bale  her  out ;  there  were 
other  rocks  to  be  avoided,  besides  the  uprushing 
swell  that  strove  ever  to  fling:  me  to  the  cormo- 


THE  JEWEL  OF  YNYS  GALON.          239 

rants  on  the  ledges ;  midway  to  heaven  as  it 
seemed.  Next  instant  a  billow  lifted  her  by  the 
bows  and  the  water  rushed  out  astern  till  half  of 
it  was  gone,  and  she  rode  lighter  over  the  wave  ere 
pitching  into  the  gap  —  I  cannot  call  it  trough  — 
on  the  other  side.  Another  moment  and  a  crest 
lifted  from  right  beneath  her,  poising  her  amid  as 
it  flung  her  giddily  up,  and  then,  just  as  swift  and 
just  as  straight,  dropped  us  back  again  into  a 
weltering  ice-green  bowl.  Then  a  surge  pitched 
us  onward,  and  I  could  see  that  we  were  close  into 
the  mouth  of  the  forked  cleft  into  which  I  had 
so  unmovedly  gazed  a  scant  hour  or  two  bypast. 
With  startling  speed  I  found  myself  well  inside, 
and  saw,  right  in  front,  not  a  dozen  lengths  away, 
that  the  passage  ended  in  a  riven  cliff  lifting  sheer 
up  to  the  earn  which  I  had  desecrated. 

One  hope,  and  one  only  remained ;  the  fork  to 
the  left,  opening  barely  two  lengths  this  side  that 
way-blocking  cliff.  With  one  last  little  flutter  of 
faith  in  Fortune,  I  pulled  to  guide  the  skiff  into 
it  ere  we  should  be  swept  past.  It  ran  at  right 
angles  to  the  other,  and  therefore  I  argued  that 
the  force  of  the  waters  would  be  less.  Even  as 
I  rounded  into  it  I  saw  my  error  and  strove  fran- 
tically to  back  out  again.  Too  late ! 


240  THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON. 

Three  lengths  long  only,  and  at  the  end  narrow- 
ing to  less  than  the  skiff's  own  bows,  with  the 
cliffs  closing  overhead  in  midnight  gloom.  Then 
a  swell  whooped  in  behind  me,  poising  the  skiff 
for  an  instant,  and  I  felt  her  shiver  in  terror  ere 
she  was  flung  fair  into  the  very  eye  of  the  gulf. 
A  roar !  a  crash  !  and  I  felt  the  boiling  waters 
drag  me  down,  and  I  knew  that  I  was  in  the  very 
clutch  of  Death,  indeed.  These  smooth  rocks 
held  no  point  for  me  to  hold  by :  I  had  seen  that 
already.  My  only  hope  could  lie  in  living  back 
through  the  cleft  to  the  cliffs  inside  the  Jaws,  and 
there  finding  some  ledge  or  foothold.  Could  I  do 
that  ?  What  a  mockery  to  cherish,  when  even 
here  in  this  inner  place  the  waters  sucked  me 
under  and  vomited  me  forth  again  in  demoni- 
acal derision  of  my  strength  who  was  so  skilful 
a  swimmer.  But  I  fought  hard.  Breathless, 
choked  with  the  brine,  the  swirling  currents  cling- 
ing to  my  limbs  like  bonds,  I  struggled  still. 
Battered  and  bruised  against  the  pitiless  cliffs 
that  mocked  my  despairing  clutchings,  I  still 
strove.  It  is  said  that  drowning  men  pass  their 
whole  lives  again  within  the  compass  of  its  last 
minute.  But  I  thought  of  nothing  of  that  kind. 
All  my  mind  was  concentrated  upon  the  battle  to 


THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON.  241 

reach  the  outer  sea ;  to  die  out  in  the  open  at 
least,  and  not  in  this  black  trap.  Nuada,  whom 
I  had  prayed  against !  not  Belre,  whom  I  had 
defied ! 

And  then,  just  as  I  began  to  think  I  must  fail, 
I  found  myself  washed  into  the  main  cleft  with 
a  rearing  wall  of  foam  charging  straight  at  me. 
Madly  I  dived  at  its  engulfing  front,  for  if  I  were 
swept  with  that,  I  should  be  crushed  like  an 
eggshell  against  the  end  of  the  gut. 

As  I  went  in,  the  waters  spread-eagled  me  and 
I  felt  myself  swept  backwards  and  upwards  to 
the  clouds  as  it  seemed,  and  then  came  out  on 
top,  to  find  the  billow  climbing  its  last  few  feet 
of  endeavour,  with  the  ragged  cliff  face  not  more 
than  arm's  length  away.  Stretching  both  hands, 
I  seized  a  little  projection  just  as  the  foam 
trembled  to  the  summit  of  its  strength,  quivering 
and  pausing,  it  may  be,  for  three  or  four  seconds. 
Then,  with  a  long-drawn  hiss,  it  sank  down,  down, 
till  I  thought  it  would  have  sucked  away  the 
last  drops  of  the  sea  and  left  the  black  floor  of  it 
to  view.  And  I  was  hanging  by  the  grip  of  my 
hands,  alone,  full  forty  feet  above.  My  glance 
followed  the  back  draw  of  the  billow,  not  more 
than  an  instant's  length,  yet  the  fascination  of 
R 


242  THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON. 

the  depth  began  to  fasten  on  me,  and  it  was  only 
with  an  effort  I  could  lift  my  eyes  to  look  aloft, 
where,  only,  might  I  find  a  way  of  escape.  As  I 
did  so,  hope  sprang  up  again,  for  just  above  the 
little  protuberance  to  which  I  clung,  ran  a  crack 
or  crevice  diagonally  from  right  to  left,  and  so 
broken  and  irregular,  that  I  felt  sure  of  good 
hold  could  I  but  once  get  grip  of  it. 

Drawing  a  huge  breath,  I  set  my  teeth,  and, 
with  a  supreme  effort,  rose  by  my  bent  arms  till 
my  chin  was  level  with  the  line  of  it  and  I  could 
note  the  place  for  a  hold.  Dear  God  !  I  had  it  safe 
and  strong,  and  so  wide  was  it  just  there,  that  I 
could  thrust  in  the  whole  right  side  of  mylength 
and,  thus  wedged  in,  could  lie  and  gasp  until  my 
wind  came  again,  and  my  heart  beat  steadier. 
Then  I  bethought  me  of  the  flask  in  my  bosom, 
but  in  that  position  it  was  useless  to  me  since  I 
dared  not  let  go  my  hold.  Nevertheless,  my 
courage  rose  as  I  saw  how  far  back  into  the 
cliff  the  crack  opened,  for  I  argued  that  there 
would  be  other  such  fractures  above,  and  perhaps 
a  possible  way  up  to  the  top.  With  new  strength 
born  of  new  hope,  I  loosed  myself,  and  gently 
dropping  over  the  abyss  to  the  extent  my  bent 
arms  allowed,  began  to  work  my  way  upwards. 


THE  JEWEL  OF  YNYS  GALON.  243 

I  won  seven  feet  or  more  along,  and  then  found 
a  little  hold  for  my  right  foot,  which  enabled  me 
to  take  breath  again.  The  whole  width  of  this 
stopped-up  gulf  was  not  more  than  five  and 
twenty  feet,  and  I  was  now  within  twelve  feet 
of  the  left  side  of  it.  But  even  if  I  could  reach 
the  side,  what  then  ?  I  looked  to  see,  and  could 
discern  that  this  cliff  on  which  I  hung  and  that 
which  formed  the  side  were  nowhere  in  close 
connection  above  the  point  where  the  present 
fracture  reached  its  limit.  There  was  room  for 
me  to  stand,  could  I  but  reach  it.  One  more 
effort,  one  short  prayer,  one  short  struggle,  and 
I  had  won,  for  I  stood  erect  and  firm  within  the 
opening  I  had  seen. 


CHAPTER   XVIII. 

IN   WHICH    MY    DEDUCTIONS   ARE   FOUND    CORRECT. 

FOR  full  five  minutes  I  stood  stock  still  to 
rest,  feeling  a  little  thrill  when  each  new  wave 
weltered  up  the  face  of  the  cliff,  as  if  it  threat- 
ened to  pluck  me  down  out  of  the  niche  I  had 
won.  Yet  none  of  them  reached  quite  so  high 
as  the  one  which  lifted  me  to  safety.  Up  above 
me,  the  opening  extended  without  obstruction 
to  the  daylight.  I  had  my  back  to  the  side  cliff, 
and  to  my  left  I  could  see  that  it  was  possible 
to  sidle  inwards  for  ten  feet  or  so  to  a  point 
where  the  two  faces  of  rock  came  into  rough 
contact  with  each  other. 

The  line  of  that  contact  extended  upwards  and 
inwards  as  far  as  I  could  distinguish  in  the  gloom, 
and  I  resolved  to  use  its  slope  for  my  effort  at 
escaping. 

But  first,  I  drew  out  the  metal  flask  and  took 
a  long  pull,  for  I  could  not  still  the  trembling  of 
my  limbs,  in  spite  of  all  my  belief  in  my  present 
244 


THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON.  24$ 

security.  I  did  not  even  cough  as  the  spirit 
passed  my  throat,  and,  moreover,  felt  mightily 
comforted  and  heartened  by  the  warmth  of  it,  and 
as  I  returned  the  flask  to  my  shirt,  I  blessed  the 
Giver  of  all  good  things  for  the  gift  of  such  a 
reviver.  Then  sidling  inwards  I  found  room  to 
turn  full  front  on,  and  was  able  to  use  every 
effort  freely  in  the  climb.  It  proved  to  be  even 
less  difficult  than  I  had  expected,  and  very  soon 
I  found  myself  at  a  point  at  least  fifty  feet  higher 
than  whence  I  started.  Here,  however,  I  found 
that  I  had  come  to  the  end  of  the  friendly  slope, 
and  that  the  original  opening  extended  straight 
back  into  darkness.  There  was  tolerable  walking 
along  this  level,  but  just  as  I  was  beginning  to 
press  forward  impatiently,  my  foot  struck  a  loose 
stone  which  seemed  to  drop  almost  straight  down 
till,  with  a  hollow  thud,  it  struck  bottom  some- 
where in  a  dense  abyss  that  sounded  hundreds 
of  feet  away.  My  breath  fetched  in  a  little  gasp 
as  I  instantly  halted.  Pressing  my  hands  against 
the  opposite  cliffs  to  steady  myself,  I  felt  cau- 
tiously forward  with  one  foot,  and  a  sweat  broke 
out  on  my  forehead  as  I  found  'that  another  step 
would  have  hurled  me  into  Eternity.  The  ledge 
was  broken  off. 


246  THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON. 

Nevertheless,  I  trusted  too  much  in  the  Provi- 
dence which  had  halted  me  in  time,  to  utterly  give 
in  now.  Retreating  again  to  the  top  of  the  slope, 
I  looked  up  once  more  and  found  that  the  outlet 
was  not  more  than  thirty  feet  above  me.  Now,  the 
faces  of  the  two  cliffs  were  both  of  them  rugged 
and  broken,  and  continued  at  about  the  same  three 
feet  apart  all  the  way  to  the  top.  The  sight  re- 
minded me  at  once  of  a  trick  of  climbing  I  had 
often  practised  in  the  days  when  I  so  worried  the 
good  old  parson  by  my  truantries. 

Placing  the  palms  of  my  hands,  finger-tops  down- 
wards, against  the  opposing  surfaces,  I  pressed  out- 
wards with  might  and  main,  till  the  pressure  would 
support  my  weight.  Then,  with  a  little  spring,  I 
raised  my  feet  and  set  them  in  like  manner  against 
the  walls.  Thereby  I  supported  myself,  till  I  could 
set  my  hands  a  little  higher  and  .gain  a  few  inches 
nearer  to  freedom  once  more.  By  bending  the 
body  a  little  it  becomes  comparatively  easy,  espe- 
cially when,  as  now,  the  inequalities  of  the  two  faces 
give  so  much  support  to  the  feet.  Little  by  little 
I  won  upwards  ;  bit  by  bit  I  rose,  and  ever  the  task 
became  harder,  and  ever  I  became  more  stubborn. 
My  hands  began  to  bleed,  but  at  a  point  where  the 
passage  became  so  narrow  that  I  could  support 


IVOR  CLIMBS  THE  CLEFT  IN  THE  CLIFF 


THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON.  247 

myself  with  knees  and  elbows,  I  slipped  the  sea- 
man's kerchief  from  round  my  neck,  and  with  teeth 
and  hands  tore  it  in  two,  therewith  to  wrap  my  torn 
palms.  Then  on  again,  with  my  heart  hammering 
at  my  ribs  from  the  exertion,  but  with  my  jaws  set 
the  tighter  for  that.  And  then,  at  last,  my  head 
rose  slowly  into  the  open,  for  the  cliff  I  had  first 
seized  broke  off  just  here,  while  the  side  cliff  tow- 
ered on  up  more  than  as  high  again.  With  one 
supreme  struggle  I  clambered  out  upon  the  rocky 
platform  and  pitched  forward  upon  my  face,  to  lie 
without  movement,  till  my  slacked  muscles  could 
feel  their  strength  come  again. 

At  the  end  of  that  time  I  once  more  drew  out 
the  flask,  and  this  time  emptied  it  quite,  for  there 
was  still  a  long  and  dangerous  ascent  to  be  over- 
come, though  I  had  won  through  the  worst.  One 
thing,  however,  caught  my  attention  as  I  rose  : 
a  network  of  giant  ivy,  bleached  and  dead,  still 
spread  itself  around  my  feet  and  reached  over  the 
seaward  edge  of  the  rock.  I  did  not  stop  to  con- 
sider it  just  then,  for  I  noted  that  the  sun  was 
come  so  low  in  the  west  that  I  should  have  scant 
time  for  the  task  in  hand  of  reaching  the  grass 
above. 

It  was  a  sharp  climb,  but  it  grew  easier  with 


248          THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON. 

every  foot  gained,  till  at  length,  with  a  fervent 
prayer  of  thanks,  I  found  myself  once  more  upon 
the  crescent  hill,  with  the  half  sun  behind  me  throw- 
ing a  long  shadow  all  down  the  glyn,  till  it  reached 
and  blackened  the  little  harbour  at  its  mouth. 

There  rose  a  great  triumph  in  my  soul  as  I  set 
my  face  to  return  to  Treforgan.  I  did  not  think 
of  the  cave  just  then  :  I  thought  only  of  the  thing 
I  had  done. 

Hitherto  old  Morris  was  the  only  man  who  had 
ever  dared  the  dangers  of  the  Jaws.  But  now,  I, 
Ivor  ap  Griffith  ap  Howel,  had  crossed  the  dread- 
ful outguards  of  the  place,  and  if  I  had  not  done 
so  well  as  old  Morris  in  returning,  I  was  at  least 
come  out  alive  to  tell  the  tale  of  it :  I  should  be  a 
man  now,  in  very  sooth  and  deed.  And  yet,  some- 
how, I  did  not  find  my  spirit  so  eager  to  claim 
manhood  as  it  had  been  a  week  ago.  Perhaps  it 
was  because  the  last  three  hours  had  really  made 
me  one. 

I  did  not  trouble  to  cook  a  supper  when  at 
length  I  passed  into  the  kitchen  of  Ty  Mawr.  I 
fell  to  upon  cold  provisions  and  watered  sack,  and 
as  soon  as  my  hunger  was  satisfied,  rolled  out  the 
blankets  and  fell  into  a  sleep  that  lasted  till  the 
sun  was  four  hours  high.  Over  breakfast,  my 


THE  JEWEL  OF  YNYS  GALOtf.  249 

mind  reverted  to  the  cave  and  the  treasure.  I 
was  as  certain  as  ever  of  the  cave's  existence,  and, 
while  I  puzzled,  the  solution  of  the  mystery  came 
upon  me  like  a  flash.  The  dead  ivy  was  the  key 
of  the  whole.  It  certainly  could  not  have  grown 
upon  that  rock  in  its  present  position  —  the  sea 
would  have  prevented  that.  Elsewhere  it  grew 
only  upon  the  crest  of  the  cliffs,  rooting  in  the 
cracks  of  the  upper  strata  and  hanging  aloft  in 
great  bushes.  When  that  network  of  ivy  spread 
itself  over  that  platform,  both  of  them  were  higher 
far  than  they  were  now  ;  so  high,  in  fact,  as  to 
overtop  any  other  on  the  island.  They  must  have 
stood  in  the  breast  of  the  outward  slope  of  the 
crescent  hill. 

The  old  witch,  at  her  death,  must  have  com- 
pelled some  great  and  awful  storm  whose  charging 
squadrons  of  white  horse  had  torn  away  its  base 
and  brought  it,  shattering  and  thundering,  down 
into  the  cleft  to  cover  up  the  entrance  to  the  cave 
which  hid  the  treasure  —  the  treasure  that  had 
cost  them  all  so  dear. 

Yet  it  'had  left  an  entrance ,  only  to  be  dis- 
covered by  bravery  or  foolhardiness,  and  I  had 
been  the  foolhardy  one  to  find  it.  For  I  reckoned 
it  Gospel  proof  that  the  stone  I  had  kicked  loose 


250          THE  JEWEL  OF  YNYS  GALOK. 

had  fallen  into  the  very  mouth  of  the  cavern  I 
was  seeking.  Stiff  and  sore  and  aching  in  every 
limb  as  I  was,  I  still  sprang  up  and  paced  about 
in  a  rush  of  excitement,  too  sober,  however,  since 
yesterday  to  shout  or  laugh. 

A  fever  of  haste  took  me ;  snatching  up  two 
coils  of  rope  from  my  stores,  I  started  at  once 
for  the  glyn.  The  exertion  and  the  weight,  how- 
ever, took  effect  to  still  my  eagerness,  and  by  the 
time  I  reached  the  circle  of  stones,  I  was  quite 
content  to  go  back  and  fetch  proper  equipment 
for  the  task  in  hand.  Thus  I  returned  and  fetched 
hammer  and  drills,  pick  and  shovel,  and  a  long  iron 
crowbar.  Besides  these,  I  took  a  great  bunch  of 
candles, with  a  little  bracket  for  holding  them,  such 
as  miners  use.  Lastly,  I  carried  a  store  of  pro- 
visions and  another  coil. 

Arrived  from  this  last  journey,  I  chose  a  spot 
a  couple  of  yards  back  from  the  cliff  top  above 
the  landslide,  and  there  drove  the  long  drill  full 
half  its  depth  into  the  seam  of  the  rock.  Fasten- 
ing one  end  of  the  longest  coil  of  rope  to  this,  I 
tied  the  tools  to  the  other  end  and  gently  paid 
out  the  line  till  they  rested  upon  the  ivied  plat- 
form half-way  down  to  the  sea.  Loosing  the 
other  coils,  I  hatched  them  round  the  first  and 


THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON.  25 1 

let  them  follow  the  tools.  Then,  hanging  the 
candles  round  my  neck,  I  took  the  rope  in  both 
hands  and  backed  over  the  edge,  staying  my  feet 
by  the  line  as  I  descended,  for  in  this  end  of  the 
cleft  the  rock  front  was  not  sheer  as  in  all  other 
places,  else  I  could  not  have  climbed  it  yesterday. 

In  my  descent  I  noticed  the  wondrous  numbers 
of  the  sea-birds  screaming  and  circling  about  me, 
though,  strange  to  say,  during  my  escape  I  had 
not  been  conscious  of  even  one  of  them.  I  sup- 
pose my  mind  was  too  full  or  too  much  shaken 
to  heed  their  cries. 

When  I  reached  the  platform,  I  lost  no  time 
in  fixing  another  drill  and  making  fast  a  second 
coil  of  rope.  Lashing  the  crowbar  and  the  last 
rope  to  the  free  end  of  this  I  lowered  them  into 
the  crevice  up  which  I  had  so  hardly  climbed. 
Next,  I  followed  myself,  with  a  turn  of  my  leg 
round  the  rope  to  steady  my  going,  and  in  another 
minute  was  standing  in  the  narrow  space  with  the 
slack  of  the  line  beneath  my  feet.  Cautiously 
creeping  inwards,  I  felt  along  until  I  came  to  the 
falling-off  place,  where  I  pushed,  the  crowbar  and 
third  coil  over,  paying  out  the  loose  till  it  slacked 
in  my  grasp  again,  by  which  I  knew  that  the  load 
had  reached  bottom. 


252          THE  JEWEL  OF  YNYS  GALON. 

Lighting  a  candle  now,  I  fixed  the  bracket  in 
my  hat,  and  felt  no  little  daunted  as  its  small  rays 
threw  into  relief  the  dense  blackness  of  the  depths 
below.  Then  I  twined  my  leg  round  the  rope 
again,  and  began  the  last  descent.  The  distance 
seemed  interminable,  and  I  could  hardly  stand  off 
my  doubts  by  repeating  to  myself  the  number  of 
fathoms  which  I,  of  course,  knew  the  rope  to 
contain. 

When  I  did  reach  bottom,  the  damp  and  the 
cold  were  enough  to  freeze  the  marrow  in  my 
bones,  and  I  dared  not  let  go  my  hold  upon  the 
rope  till  I  had  lit  another  candle  and  stuck  it  on 
top  of  a  boulder  a  couple  of  feet  away.  Then  I 
loosed  the  last  coil  of  rope  and,  after  making  one 
end  fast  to  the  same  boulder,  took  the  loops  of 
it  upon  my  left  arm  and  started  forward  into  the 
blackness,  paying  out  the  line  as  I  went  in  order 
to  have  a  guide  in  returning. 

Before  I  had  slipped  and  stumbled  along  more 
than  a  dozen  yards  I  struck  my  head  against  a 
rock  face,  and,  holding  the  candle  forward  and  aloft, 
discerned  that  I  had  reached  what  I  believed  to  be 
the  original  cliff  face  before  the  landslip.  Groping 
my  way  along  this  to  the  right,  I  felt  my  cautious 
pulses  leap  up  in  wild  joy  when,  within  a  couple  of 


THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON. 

paces,  I  came  upon  the  near  edge  of  a  seemingly 
illimitable  opening,  giving  into  the  cliff  behind.  I 
tried  to  peer  within,  but  my  candle  was  a  mockery 
in  that  more  than  Stygian  blackness,  and  I  made 
haste  to  mark  the  spot  by  lighting  another  candle 
and  setting  it  upon  the  threshold.  Then,  holding 
with  tenacious  fingers  to  the  guiding  line,  I  pushed 
on  again. 

The  ground  fell  away  before  me  with  exceeding 
steepness,  and  I  wondered  at  first  whither  it  would 
lead,  till  presently  I  remembered  that  during  the 
great  storms  from  the  southwest,  the  sea  must 
pour  mighty  floods  up  that  cleft  above  and  down 
into  this  pit,  washing  the  shattered  fragments  of 
the  under  cliff  into  the  cave.  These  smaller  frag- 
ments had,  of  course,  almost  stopped  up  its  mouth 
before  the  great  mass  from  above  slid  down  in 
front  and  prevented  their  being  sucked  out  into 
the  Jaws.  This  view  proved  to  be  correct ;  for, 
presently,  I  stepped  out  on  to  a  firm  floor,  having 
a  very  slight  slope  upward,  and  here  I  set  another 
candle. 

As  I  did  so  I  heard  a  noise  to  the  left,  which 
convinced  me  that  there  was  a  body  of  water  in 
the  cave  itself ;  a  body,  moreover,  communicating 
with  the  sea  outside,  for  I  could  hear  it  lapping 


254          THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON. 

and  tripping  in  little  surges  upon  its  beach.  Turn- 
ing that  way,  therefore,  I  found  the  floor  slope 
down  again,  and  I  was  not  surprised  to  come  upon 
a  space  of  water  about  a  dozen  yards  each  way, 
tossing  in  miniature  billows,  and  showing  by  the 
peculiar  boiling  motion  of  one  corner  of  it,  next 
the  cavern  wall,  that  the  way  of  its  connection 
with  outside  was  from  a  point  at  least  four  feet 
below  its  present  level.  Now,  if  that  was  so,  then 
its  surface  would  rise  with  the  tide,  and  it  became 
at  once  a  matter  of  concern  as  to  how  far  it  would 
spread,  and  whether  it  would  cut  me  off  and  drown 
me  in  this  awful  hole.  There  was  need  for  speed 
in  any  case,  and,  setting  still  another  candle  here 
beside  the  pool,  I  turned  to  search  the  space 
inwards. 

The  floor  itself  was  of  solid  rock,  and  I  felt  at 
once  that  there  would  be  no  digging  to  be  done. 
To  my  intense  surprise  and  disappointment,  I 
found  the  cave  to  be  not  more  than  a  sort  of  pas- 
sage, some  thirty  yards  wide  and  quite  two  hun 
dred  long,  rising  steeply  as  it  went.  I  had  come 
to  the  end  of  the  line  soon  after  leaving  the  pool, 
and  had  marked  it  with  another  candle.  Then, 
going  to  the  wall  on  the  left,  I  started  round,  hold- 
ing the  light  well  forward  as  I  went,  and  coming 


THE  JEWEL  OF  YNYS  GALOfr.          255 

back  at  length  on  the  other  side,  to  the  candle 
sticking  at  the  mouth  of  the  cave.  The  walls  had 
been  as  smooth  and  solid  as  a  ship's  side ! 

Puzzled  and  perplexed,  I  went  again  to  the  edge 
of  the  pool  and  stood,  wondering  how  long  my 
candles  would  last  and  whether  the  tide  would  cut 
me  off,  if  I  stayed  searching  as  long  as  the  lights 
endured.  Loosing  the  rest  of  the  bunch  from  my 
neck,  I  began  to  count  them,  when  suddenly  my 
hold  slipped,  and  they  dropped  into  the  waters  at 
my  feet.  I  stood  stock  still  for  a  moment,  inwardly 
aghast  at  my  stupid  clumsiness.  But  there  was 
no  time  for  staring  —  already  the  candles  burning 
were  getting  low,  and  I  must  either  recover  the 
bunch  from  the  waters  or  retrace  my  steps  at  once 
and  climb  to  the  upper  air ;  there  to  wait  another 
day,  for  in  all  probability,  the  tide  would  rise  in 
here  and  prevent  my  renewing  the  search  till 
morning.  The  alternative  was  quite  enough  to 
decide  me ;  hastily  stripping  off  my  clothes,  I  let 
myself  gently  into  the  pool. 

I  expected  to  find  it  very  deep,  and  was  there- 
fore considerably  taken  aback  to  find  my  chin  well 
out  of  water  as  I  stood  upon  my  tip-toes  on  a  bot- 
tom of,  certainly,  the  most  peculiar  formation  I 
ever  trod.  It  was  close  ribbed  like  the  shores  of 


2  $6          THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON. 

a  sandy  sea,  but  not  with  sand ;  it  was  as  hard  and 
firm  as  rock  should  be.  I  felt  dubiously  along 
with  my  foot  and  found  that  the  ribs  were  in  short 
lengths,  in  fact,  as  I  told  myself  in  a  whisper,  just 
like  the  tin  and  spelter  ingots  from  the  smelters  at 
Swansea.  Sharp  with  that  word  a  light  broke  in 
upon  me,  and  I  split  the  darkness  with  a  piercing 
yell.  "  The  treasure  !  the  ingots  of  gold  !  the  bars 
of  silver !  I  have  found  it !  Aho  !  " 

I  was  like  a  madman  dancing  up  and  down 
upon  that  stack  of  metal  for  a  couple  of  minutes 
or  so,  till  the  sputtering  of  the  candle  at  the 
water's  edge  reminded  me  of  the  lost  bunch.  At 
that  I  sobered,  and,  drawing  the  slack  of  the  rope 
into  the  water,  stooped  under  and  hitched  it  round 
the  end  of  one  of  the  bars.  Jumping  ashore,  I 
found  the  weight  enormous  by  comparison  with 
the  bulk.  Yet  the  frenzy  in  my  blood  tugged 
with  me  on  the  line,  and  at  length  I  landed  what 
was  surely  the  rarest  spoil  man  ever  drew  from 
the  waters.  Crusted  it  was  with  sea-salt,  but  my 
knife  whipped  a  long  scrape  upon  its  surface,  and 
I  saw  the  yellow  glitter  of  the  great  world's  idol 
-gold! 

I  looked  in  wonder,  and  my  soul  sobered  in  a 
kind  of  blasphemous  awe,  as  I  tried  to  calculate 


THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALOiV.  257 

the  worth  of  that  one  single  unit  of  the  hoard. 
No  wonder  old  Rhys  Harries  had  laid  so  great  an 
oath  of  secrecy  upon  his  people.  No  wonder  the 
dragons  of  "  Nuada's  Fleshhook "  had  foughten 
so  fiercely  !  Here  was  a  kingdom's  ransom  !  a 
nation's  price !  For  such  a  sum  as  this,  leagues 
and  alliances  would  declare  war !  With  such  a 
sum  unscrupulous  ministers  might  hire  whole 
peoples  of  mercenaries  to  work  out  their  ambi- 
tions. Placing  my  heavy  sheath-knife  across  one 
end  of  the  bar,  I  took  a  great  stone  and  hammered 
it  till  I  cut  off  a  slice  some  half  an  inch  thick. 
I  was  struck  by  the  weight  of  even  so  little  a 
piece,  comparing  it  with  the  dimensions  of  the 
bulk  below,  and  wondering  anew  over  the  whole 
affair. 

Then,  with  hasty  speed,  I  lifted  the  weighty 
ingot  and  cast  it  back  upon  the  rest ;  half-believ- 
ing that  the  splash-drops  shining  in  the  candle- 
light were  gold  also. 

Swiftly  as  my  trembling  fingers  could  shape,  I 
donned  my  clothing  once  more,  and,  with  the 
precious  plate  of  metal  stowed  safely  in  my 
breast,  took  up  the  bight  of  the  rope  and  turned 
to  go. 

When  I  came  to  climb  up  to  daylight  again  I 


258  THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON. 

felt  as  light  as  a  bird,  and  went  almost  as  lightly, 
as  if  I  had  been  really  endowed  with  wings  —  at 
least,  I  cannot  remember  feeling  in  the  slightest 
degree  distressed  or  winded. 


CHAPTER   XIX. 
"  DEW  ! " 

WHEN  I  reached  the  grass-roots  once  more,  I 
drew  the  last  rope  up  after  me,  loosing  the  drill 
also,  and  hiding  both  in  the  thicket  at  the  head  of 
the  glyn,  lest  it  should  betray  my  secret  in  my 
absence.  Also  I  restored  the  earn  of  Belre  in 
order  to  hide  the  orifice  above.  For  now  an  abso- 
lute terror,  lest  Dew  should  return  before  I  could 
escape  from  the  island,  seemed  to  fill  my  bones, 
and  urge  me  to  headlong  speed. 

And  I  think  it  must  have  been  the  knowledge 
•of  the  wealth  which  lay  in  my  keeping  that  turned 
me  to  such  a  quaking  poltroon.  But  the  bright 
sun  and  pure  air,  coming  after  the  horrible  black- 
ness of  the  cave,  soon  worked  their  natural  con- 
sequences in  my  brain,  and  before  I  reached 
Treforgan,  my  courage  had  in  a  measure  returned, 
and  I  was  able  to  reckon  up  my  situation  calmly. 

I  had  no  boat,  and  my  only  weapons  were  a 
sheath-knife  and  an  axe.  To  wait  here  alone  on 
259 


260  THE  JEWEL  OF  YNYS  GALON. 

the  island  was  out  of  the  question,  and,  as  for 
leaving  it,  the  only  craft  I  could  build  was  a  raft. 
Now,  a  raft  would  not  be  a  bad  idea  at  all,  as  the 
currents  ran  so  strongly  in  the  direction  of  Pwll- 
wen,  but  —  there  was  one  great  danger  to  be 
feared:  "The  Teeth."  If  I  could  only  keep 
wide  of  both  the  Teeth  and  the  point  of  Trywnhir, 
the  rest  was  easy ;  but  it  would  be  a  close  rub  if 
it  were  accomplished  at  all.  Nevertheless,  I  must 
risk  it. 

Hastily  gulping  down  a  snack  of  luncheon,  I 
took  the  axe,  and  started  for  the  mouth  of  the 
glyn  to  cut  four  logs  for  a  foundation.  Floating 
these  into  the  shallows,  I  nailed  across  them  short 
lengths  of  sapling,  and  over  those  a  layer  of  twigs 
and  small  branches.  By  this  time  it  was  dropping 
dark,  and  so  I  made  the  whole  fast  to  the  shore, 
and,  after  selecting  a  straight  and  suitable  young 
tree  for  fashioning  into  an  oar,  I  carried  it  with 
me  into  the  kitchen,  and  fell  to  preparing  supper. 

I  had  another  bunch  of  candles  in  the  corner, 
and  with  these  I  set  "up  a  regular  illumination  — 
wealth  had  already  made  me  extravagant,  I  sup- 
pose. Also,  I  picked  out  the  choicest  morsels  of 
my  provisions  to  the  meal ;  I  was  going  home 
after  breakfast  to-morrow,  so  what  did  it  matter ! 


THE  JEWEL  OF  YNYS  GALON.  261 

Then  I  shook  out  the  change  of  clothing,  and  set 
it  to  air  in  the  ingle  nook,  for  the  clothes  now 
upon  me  would  have  disgraced  a  scarecrow,  much 
more  one  so  rich  as  I,  who  would  never  stomach 
going  home  in  such  sorry  guise.  Then  I  made  a 
hole  through  my  plate  of  gold,  and  slung  it  about 
my  neck,  using,  for  carrying  it,  the  ribbon  where- 
with my  foster-mother  had  bound  the  clean  shirt 
to  preserve  its  laces. 

After  all  which,  I  sat  down  and  got  outside  a 
somewhat  fastidious  supper. 

That  finished,  I  took  up  the  axe  once  more,  and, 
with  infinite  labour,  hewed  out  and  fashioned  an 
oar  of  mighty  length  and  wondrous  weight,  all 
my  notions  coming  upon  me  in  such  magnificent 
dimensions  that  night.  Was  I  not  wearing  gold 
by  the  cake  about  my  neck,  with  plenty  more 
where  that  came  from  ? 

And  when  that  oar  was  finished,  I  held  it 
towards  the  fire  and  squinted  along  it  like  two 
carpenters,  so  clever  did  I  feel  myself  to  be. 
And,  further,  when  my  eye  could  only  discern 
the  first  four  feet  or  so  of  its  shaft,  I  affected  to 
believe  that  it  was  because  it  was  so  well  and 
truly  fashioned,  and  not  at  all  because  it  fell  away 
out  of  the  straight  at  so  deplorable  an  angle. 


262  THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON. 

Verily  I  was  a  great  man  standing  in  the 
kitchen  of  Ty  Mawr  that  night.  And  so  tickled 
was  I  with  the  figure  I  was  cutting  in  the  world, 
that  I  must  have  fallen  asleep  wearing  a  smile, 
to  which  that  of  an  alderman  over  the  toast  list 
at  a  city  dinner  would  be  a  pale  grin  in  com- 
parison. 

So,  too,  I  was  as  late  in  rising  next  morning  as 
I  had  been  after  my  tussle  with  Nuada  in  the 
Jaws.  Yet  I  was  as  careful  to  make  my  toilet 
as  if  I  were  to  meet  another  lord-lieutenant.  My 
breakfast,  though,  was  hearty,  for  I  knew  that 
oar  of  mine  would  need  some  handling,  what  with 
its  own  weight  and  the  weight  of  the  raft  besides. 
Then  I  passed  jauntily  down  the  steps  and  cast 
loose  for  my  voyage  home. 

Getting  through  the  neck  was  a  tough  job,  and 
at  the  end  of  it  I  was  not  quite  so  light-hearted 
about  my  safe  arrival  in  Pwllwen  as  I  had  been 
in  the  harbour.  Nevertheless,  I  sang  a  brave 
stave  as  the  current  seized  the  wallowing  craft 
and  began  to  sweep  it  away  towards  the  huge 
front  of  Trwynhir.  The  oar  became  less  of  a 
joke  with  every  mile  passed,  and  I  soon  saw  that 
if  I  was  to  escape  wreck,  I  must  work  as  I  never 
worked  before.  Doffing  my  coat  and  hat,  I 


THE  JEWEL  OF  YNYS  GALON.  263 

buckled  to  with  a  will,  and  soon  the  drops  of  sweat 
were  standing  large  upon  my  forehead.  Swifter 
and  swifter  the  current  swept  us  on,  nearer  and 
nearer  to  the  looming  danger  we  drew,  and  at 
last,  I  could  no  longer  disguise  from  myself  the 
certainty  of  striking  the  Teeth.  All  my  frantic 
efforts  to  guide  the  raft  far  enough  to  clear  those 
rocks  ranking  so  pitilessly  upon  that  broad  ledge, 
availed  me  nothing  in  sea  room  ;  the  current  set 
too  sure  and  strong  inshore  for  me  to  stem  it. 
One  chance  there  might  be,  though  I  had  never 
heard  of  even  a  boat  attempting  it,  much  less  a 
raft.  I  might  put  forth  an  effort  the  other  way, 
and  try  to  fetch  the  inner  passage  between  the 
Teeth  and  the  cape. 

To  do  so  was  easy,  but  hardly  had  I  accom- 
plished it,  and  cleared  the  "  Inner  Tooth  "  than  I 
rued  as  sore  as  a  man  well  can.  I  fetched  a  huge 
sigh  as  I  recognised  that  here,  at  the  entrance, 
the  current  was  more  like  a  mill-race  in  flood  than 
one  looks  to  find  at  sea.  Then  the  waters  seized 
the  unwieldy  craft  and  spun  it  round  and  round 
as  if  it  had  been  a  mere  wisp  of  straw,  and  I  set 
my  jaws  in  a  snap  as  the  clumsy  oar  was  snatched 
from  my  hands  and  drawn  out  of  sight'  in  a  whirl- 
pool. As  it  went,  it  stood  upright,  as  straight  as 


264  THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON. 

ever  it  stood  in  the  glyn  yesterday,  and  I  felt  the 
gold  on  my  breast  chilling  me  like  a  lump  of  ice 
as  my  imagination  anticipated  a  like  fate  for  my- 
self. And  now,  too,  as  if  to  mock  rny  helpless- 
ness, a  new  current  seemed  to  leap  out  from 
behind  the  Inner  Tooth  and  sweep  the  raft  straight 
across  in  a  fashion  to  hurl  it  to  fragments  against 
the  smooth  cliffs  that  looked  down  in  grim  indif- 
ference from  their  five  hundred  feet  of  front. 
Then,  just  when  my  soul  was  shrinking  in  me 
from  the  near  shock,  the  raft  hauled  off  and, 
like  some  tantalising  fiend,  drove  swiftly  back 
again  till,  with  a  smooth,  gliding  sort  of  rush,  it 
swung  in  a  wide  circle  out  and  behind  the  Teeth. 

Straightway  my  courage  rose,  and  I  was  just 
beginning  to  congratulate  myself,  when  crash 
went  the  timbers  beneath  me  on  a  hidden  rock, 
and  I  was  flung,  shoulder  first,  into  the  green 
eddy  beside  it.  It  was  a  stiffly  rushing  current 
in  which  I  found  myself,  but  it  was  strong  and 
steady  in  one  single  direction,  and  I  swung  out 
with  all  my  might  to  cross  it  and  reach  the  black 
rocks  rising  so  sullenly  a  couple  of  lengths  away. 

That  was  the  toughest  swim  I  ever  did  ;  for 
when  the  skiff  was  wrecked  in  the  cleft,  I  was 
the  mere  sport  of  the  seas  and  not  a  swimmer  at 


THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON.  26$ 

all.  Here  I  was,  wrestling  in  grim  stubbornness 
against  the  swirl,  and  so  stoutly  did  I  strive  to 
boot  that  at  last  I  won,  and  drew  myself  up  to 
the  rock  I  aimed  for  ;  between  my  gasps,  thank- 
ing God  for  this  present  respite. 

Looking  back  to  see  what  had  become  of  the 
raft,  I  saw  that  she  had  been  sorely  wrecked  in 
striking,  for  one  of  the  outer  logs  had  broken 
away  completely,  while  the  next  to  it  had  so 
started,  that  it  merely  held  by  a  nail  or  two  in  the 
crosspieces.  Then  wreck  and  raft  had  gone  round 
together,  till  now  they  were  wheeling  short  upon 
a  horrible  sucking  vortex  in  the  centre.  Being 
lightest,  the  one  log  was  now  nearest  to  the  hole  ; 
and,  even  as  I  took  the  whole  scene  in,  I  saw  the 
end  of  it  dip  as  the  end  of  the  oar  had  done  before 
it.  Next  instant  the  butt  began  to  rise,  but  its 
mighty  weight  was  too  great  even  for  that  gurg- 
ling Water  Fiend,  and  it  fell  massively  across, 
striking  the  started  log  of  the  raft  and  driving  it 
clear  off  the  remainder.  Then,  as  if  it  had  accom- 
plished Nuada's  will,  it  disappeared  beneath  the 
green  lips  of  the  horror,  which,  gulped  it  down 
and  filled  above  it  with  a  curl  of  mad-dog  foam, 
that  sent  a  shudder  through  my  drenched  frame. 

"And    that    is    Nuada's    throat,"    I   whispered 


266  THE  JEWEL  OF  YNYS  GALON. 

tremblingly  to  myself,  as  I  watched  the  second 
log  do  exactly  as  the  first  had  done,  driving  the 
third  log  loose  from  the  shattered  raft,  ere  it,  too, 
was  snatched  under  and  the  foam-wreath  piled 
up  again  and  sent  another  shiver  through  me. 
As  with  the  second,  so  with  the  third ;  as  with 
the  third,  so  with  the  fourth  and  final  one ;  and 
when,  for  the  last  time,  that  foam-wreath  rose,  I 
turned  my  face  away,  my  hair  standing  stiff  with 
terror,  lest  the  ages  dead  Nuada  should  stretch 
out  a  long  arm  from  beneath  and  seize  and  suck 
me  down,  with  the  foam-wreath  to  mark  my  pass- 
ing, and  the  stony  face  of  Trwynhir  to  keep  for- 
ever the  secret  of  my  dying. 

The  dread  in  my  heart  drove  me  to  attempt  to 
get  as  far  as  possible  away,  and,  with  a  great  leap, 
I  flung  myself  half-way  across  to  the  next  rock 
in  front,  from  whence  I  could  wade  or  drag  my- 
self until  I  stood  at  last  on  the  exact  spot  where, 
as  I  suddenly  remembered,  the  pirate  boat  had 
struck  on  the  day  they  chased  the  skiff. 

"Never  mind,"  I  muttered  to  myself,  "better 
dead  pirates  than  fiends  that  never  die " ;  and  I 
felt  a  strange  sense  of  comfort  in  the  words  as 
I  uttered  them.  Hatless,  coatless,  weaponless, 
yet  till  the  tide  should  be  full  risen,  my  situation 


THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON.  267 

was  not  utterly  forlorn.  Some  boat  might  stand 
out  from  Pwllwen  and  discover  me.  Ha  !  yonder 
was  a  sail  already,  and  bearing  straight  in  for  me ! 
In  truth  I  had  been  so  absorbed,  first  in  attempt- 
ing to  steer  the  raft,  and  next  in  escaping,  that 
I  had  had  no  time  to  see  this  boat  approaching 
until  now  she  was  not  a  quarter  of  a  mile  away. 

But  the  longer  I  gazed  at  her,  the  surer  I  grew 
that  her  lines  were  familiar  to  me,  and  within 
five  minutes  I  had  recognised,  beyond  doubt  or 
cavil,  the  boat  I  had  seen  wrecked  upon  the  very 
ledge  where  I  stood  now.  There  was  no  mistak- 
ing her,  loaded  as  she  was  to  the  gunwale  with 
a  crowd  of  men,  and  with  a  new  brass  gun  on  her 
bow  platform.  I  was  escaped  from  Nuada  to  fall 
into  the  clutches  of  Dew  !  What  I  had  to  expect 
at  his  hands,  however,  was  a  thought  which  pulled 
my  wits  so  sharply  together  as  to  generate  a 
stubbornness  by  the  shock  and  warm  my  heart 
to  action.  Without  hesitation,  I  made  my  way 
back  to  the  rock  farthest  in  :  the  one  called  the 
Inner  Tooth.  I  would  see  how  Dew  could  steer 
a  boat  where  I  had  failed  with  the  raft. 

But  the  pirate  was  taking  no  risk  he  did  not 
know.  The  danger  of  the  point  where  the  boat 
had  struck  before  he  had  then  gauged,  and  now 


268          THE  JEWEL  OF  YNYS  GALON. 

he  steered  to  fetch  abreast  of  it,  and  when  within 
a  length  to  fall  gently  away  against  the  ledge 
under  their  quarter.  By  downing  sail  at  once, 
and  keeping  oars  and  boat-hooks  in  vigorous  play, 
they  could  do  that  with  very  little  danger.  Just 
as  I  had  reckoned,  so  they  came ;  and  I  admired 
the  seamanlike  way  they  carried  it  through  :  ap- 
parently Dew  allowed  no  slovenliness  in  a  crew 
of  his.  And  all  this  time,  not  one  of  them  ever 
hailed  me  or  seemed  to  take  the  slightest  notice 
of  me ;  whereat  I  vaguely  wondered.  But  as 
soon  as  they  touched,  and  three  or  four  boat-hooks 
had  gripped  them  fast,  their  leader  stood  up,  with 
a  musket  in  his  hand,  and,  in  a  cold  and  mocking 
tone,  shouted  across  to  me  : 

"  Well,  cousin  !  Glad  to  meet  you." 
Sure  enough,  he  was  a  cousin,  but  I  had  never 
before  thought  of  him  in  that  light,  and  now  I 
took  it  as  an  arrogant  insult :  my  temper  flared  up 
almost  as  if  he  had  struck  me.  So  hot  was  I  that 
I  stood  out  in  front  of  the  rock  and  shouted  back 
in  defiance. 

"  You  cousin  to  me !  No  cur  was  ever  kin  to 
Dolgoch.  Come  out  on  the  rocks  and  I'll  ham- 
mer you  again  as  I  did  before,  you  cutthroat 
scoundrel ! " 


I 

Q 

1 


THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON.  269 

Straightway  for  answer  to  that  he  clapped  the 
musket  to  his  shoulder,  and  I  saw  the  cruel  sneer 
on  his  features  as  he  took  aim  at  my  legs.  "As 
with  poor  Polwithy,"  thought  I,  pitying  that  great 
villain  as  a  fellow-victim.  But  pride  of  my  insulted 
blood  would  not  let  me  seek  shelter,  and  I  taunted 
him  again. 

"  You  will  never  dare  to  stand  on  Belre's 
hearth,  you  sneaking  murderer !  " 

I  saw  the  hammer  fall ;  the  flash,  the  smoke ; 
but  the  ball  passed  between  my  legs.  Possibly 
he  had  aimed  too  true,  and  the  bullet  had  kept 
straight  which  he  had  expected  to  go  a  little  wide 
and  break  one  or  other  of  my  thighs.  At  this  my 
courage  rose  as  high  as  my  pride,  and  I  defied 
them  all  to  come  out  and  take  me.  Then,  to  my 
surprise,  Dew  dropped  his  musket  and  called  aloud 
to  me,  with  a  new  and  manly  ring  in  his  voice : 

"  Cousin,  you  are  as  brave  as  all  our  blood  have 
ever  been.  Come  you  into  the  boat ;  I  have  a 
word  to  speak  in  your  ear." 

"  Ah  ha ! "  shouted  I  in  reply.  "  Do  you  reckon 
us  only  fools,  then  ? " 

"  Here  !  "  said  he,  "  catch  that !  "  and  straight 
he  drew  a  pistol  from  his  belt  and  deftly  threw  it 
into  my  hands.  "  It  is  loaded  :  look  to  the  prim- 


2/0  THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON. 

ing.  Now  you  can  shoot  me  if  you  will,  or  come 
and  hear  what  I  have  to  say." 

So  unexpected  and  so  noble  an  action  took  me 
aback,  and,  like  a  breaker's  ebb,  my  heat  sank 
away,  for  I  could  no  longer  hold  my  anger  against 
so  fearless  a  trust  of  me.  Could  I  let  it  be  said 
that  I  allowed  a  pirate  to  outdo  me  in  generosity 
and  gallant  courtesy  ?  Nay,  I  was  not  proof. 

"  I  am  coming,  Sir  Pirate ! "  answered  I.  "  Here 
is  your  pistol,"  I  went  on,  as,  reaching  the  ledge 
again,  I  handed  it  back  to  him,  butt  first. 

He  took  it  with  a  courtly  bow,  saying,  as  he 
bent,  "  My  mother  always  taught  me  that  a  Dol- 
goch  was  ever  a  gentleman." 

"  Your  mother  !  What  name  did  she  give  you, 
sir,  if  such  a  question  may  become  a  gentleman  ?  " 

"  Perfectly  !  She  took  it  from  Dolgoch,  that  it 
might  crave  a  hearing  for  me  some  day.  It  is 
Meyric.  I  am  Meyric  Ddu  ap  Morgan  ;  known 
in  the  Spanish  seas  as  Dew  !  " 

Now,  I  do  confess  that  I  had  ever  a  weakness 
for  a  manly  and  gallant-seeming  fellow ;  and  here 
I  felt  my  doubts  as  to  any  danger  from  him  van- 
ish, and,  with  a  bow  worthy  of  the  occasion,  I 
drew  forth  the  snuff-box  of  the  lord-lieutenant, 
and,  extending  it  towards  him,  said  :  "  Ah  !  I  can- 


THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON:          2?  I 

not  offer  you  a  pinch  of  its  contents,  for  the  un- 
mannerly seas  have  swamped  it.  Yet  do  but  tap 
the  lid,  and  it  shall  be  deemed  that  we  did  ex- 
change the  compliment,  good  cousin."  (Cousin ! 
mark  you,  when  but  a  moment  ago  I  was  ready  to 
have  run  him  through  for  that  same  word.) 

"Ah  ha!"  replied  he,  with  a  smile,  "a  play 
upon  my  name.  You  have  a  pretty  wit.  Do  but 
touch  it.  Lo  !  Dew  does ! " 

Now,  though  this  was  so  sorry  a  pun,  and  all 
unintended  by  me  even  at  that,  yet  I  was  so 
mightily  tickled  at  this  conceding  of  a  pretty  wit 
to  my  possession,  that  I  was  ready  to  have  gone 
bail  for  him  to  my  father  himself.  Gravely  I 
pocketed  the  snuff-box  again,  and  intimated  that 
I  would  now  come  aboard.  My  cousin  was  stand- 
ing on  the  forward  thwart,  and  I  opposite  him  ; 
but,  as  I  raised  to  step  across,  the  treacherous  sea- 
weed slipped  from  beneath  my  foot,  and  I  pitched 
forward,  in  narrow  danger  of  going  under  the  bows. 

The  fellow  holding  the  first  boat-hook  instantly 
let  go  his  grip  of  that  to  seize  me  by  the  collar  and 
haul  me  in.  Unfortunately,  as  he  loosed  his  clutch 
upon  my  rolling  aboard,  the  crook  of  his  tarry  fin- 
ger in  the  ribbon  twitched  out  the  plate  of  gold, 
and  it  shone  in  the  sun  with  dazzling  magnificence. 


272          THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON. 

"  The  treasure  !  the  treasure !  "  yelled  the  fellow, 
even  as  I  had  done  before  him,  and  instantly  the 
whole  crew  took  up  the  cry,  and  the  rocks  rang 
again  with  the  mad  shout  of  "Treasure!"  Then 
the  same  rascal,  with  a  fierce  oath,  demanded 
where  I  found  it. 

The  answer  he  got  took  him  all  aback.  It  was 
Dew  who  spoke.  "  Horan,  I  reckon  you're  taken 
suddenly  with  something  gone  wrong  in  your 
stomach.  When  a  man  is  feeling  not  so  well  we 
excuse  him.  But  if  the  whole  crew,  too,  are  going 
to  be  not  so  well,  catching  it  from  you,  I'll  hold 
you  for  a  Jonah  and  have  you  heaved  overboard." 

The  tone  of  that  voice  was  as  smooth  and  as 
keen  as  a  sword-edge,  and  I  could  see  the  rest 
shrink  away  from  the  object  of  it,  as  if  he  had 
been  the  plague. 

That  fellow  was  a  bold  one,  though,  for  in  spite 
of  his  obvious  fear  of  the  captain,  he  muttered 
again,  "  But  that  is  part  of  the  treasure." 

"  And  what  of  that  ?  "  demanded  Dew.  "  Didn't 
I  tell  you  there  was  a  treasure,  and  isn't  that  what 
you  are  all  here  for  ?  You  all  swore  to  join  me 
because  I  told  you  that.  But  I  told  you  too,  that 
I  had  the  Jewel :  this  one,"  —  drawing  the  Jewel 
from  his  breast  and  letting  it  hang  by  its  chain, 


THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON.  2/3 

even  as  the  plate  was  hanging  from  my  own  neck, 
—  "  which  makes  me  lord  of  the  island,  and  that 
when  I  showed  that  Jewel,  and  could  keep  the 
island  against  all  competitors,  then  the  treasure 
would  be  mine  legally,  and  that  Dolgoch  would 
protect  me  in  the  enjoyment  of  it,  according  to 
the  old  laws  and  customs  of  Ynys  Galon. 

"  Then  I  promised  you  that  you  should  all  have 
fair  share  and  share,  according  to  the  rules  of  gen- 
tlemen of  fortune,  and  I  don't  think  that  there  is 
one  of  you  who  doubts  my  word  on  that  point.  Is 
there  ? "  he  broke  off  fiercely.  But  no  one  of  them 
was  hardy  enough  to  answer,  and,  after  waiting 
for  a  moment,  he  resumed  :  "  Well !  very  well ;  we 
have  been  fortunate  enough  to  be  of  some  slight 
service  to  my  cousin,"  —  here  he  bowed  towards 
me,  who  graciously  returned  the  courtesy,  for  pure 
pleasure  at  his  delicate  way  of  putting  things,  — 
"  which  service,  however,  only  serves  to  make  the 
matter  more  pleasant,  and  does  not  affect  the  title 
to  the  treasure  in  the  least ;  Dolgoch  will  be  the 
first  to  admit  my  right  to  the  treasure  when  I  am 
lord  of  the  island." 

There  was  a  pretty  inflection  to  this  last  sen- 
tence, as  who  should  beg  of  me  to  speak  to  the 
correctness  of  the  assumption  whereat  I,  as  became 


274  THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON. 

my   importance,    pooh-poohed !    the   possibility  of 
the  existence  of  any  doubt. 

"  My  cousin  is  most  excellently  correct,  I  do  as- 
sure you,  my  good  fellows  !  There  is,  of  course,  a 
certain  function  to  be  gone  through  ;  a  mere  cere- 
mony perhaps,  and  seeming  to  your  eyes  to  be  a 
thing  of  little  weight,  and  one  easily  to  be  dis- 
pensed with.  Yet  I  beg  of  you  to  take  my  assur- 
ance that  it  is  none  the  less  necessary  to  observe 
it,  as  thereby  insuring  an  absolutely  flawless  title. 
As  you  no  doubt  believe,  I  have  seen  the  treasure, 
and  I  give  you  my  word  as  a  gentleman  of  some 
distinction,  not  only  in  his  native  place,"  -  -  here 
I  thought  of  the  lord-lieutenant  at  the  other  end 
of  the  county,  —  "that  the  amount  of  it  is  quite 
such  as  to  make  it  worth  attending  to  the  nicest 
details  in  securing  a  title  to  it."  I  plumed  myself 
immensely  upon  the  way  in  which  I  delivered  so 
pretty  a  speech,  quieting  the  crew,  and  at  the  same 
time  giving  a  velvety  hint  to  the  captain  that  the 
treasure  was  not  yet  his. 

And  he  took  it  as  meant,  for  there  was  a  subtle 
light  in  his  smile,  as  he  bowed  his  thanks,  which 
showed  how  prettily  he  appreciated  my  standpoint. 
Turning  to  the  men,  he  observed  in  his  most  fasci- 
nating tones 


THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON.  275 

"  You  see  what  it  is  to  be  born  a  gentleman,  and 
co  be  able  to  give  up  so  vast  a  fortune  for  so  small 
a  thing  as  an  old  custom,  and  to  do  it  as  well  in  so 
courtly  a  fashion  as  my  good  cousin.  Gad !  gen- 
tlemen, I  grow  prouder  of  him  at  every  word." 

The  reader  will  observe  that  Dew  had  dropped 
his  fo'c'sle  English  from  the  start,  and  was  support- 
ing his  cousinship  with  all  the  graces  at  his  com- 
mand, even  to  the  putting  a  gloss  on  his  company 
of  cutthroats  by  using  their  own  euphemism  of 
"  Gentlemen ! " 

"And  the  ceremony"  —prompted  I,  bowing 
acknowledgment  of  his  mightily  taking  speech. 

"  Can  be  put  afoot  this  very  evening,"  replied 
he  smoothly.  Then  to  the  crew :  "  Now,  boys, 
oars  out  and  give  way  lively  till  we  get  clear 
enough  for  the  sails  to  draw  us  off.  Lively  ! " 
He  was  the  sea-captain  again. 

"  For  the  island,"  he  said  briefly,  in  answer  to 
the  look  of  the  steersman. 


CHAPTER  XX. 

THE   CEREMONY    IN   THE   HOUSE   OF   NUADA. 

Now  though  the  crew  had  cowered  before  their 
captain,  yet  I  could  see  their  eyes  flashing  and 
flaming  at  the  sight  of  the  gold  plate  upon  my 
breast,  and  I  felt  that  with  Dew  out  of  the  boat, 
they  would  have  flown  at  me  like  wolves  to  tear  me 
in  pieces  if  I  refused  to  lead  them  to  the  cave.  1 
knew  it  from  the  first  shout  of  Horan,  and  possibly 
that  was  why  I  had  so  readily  appeared  to  fall  in 
with  Dew's  suggestion  of  putting  the  ceremony 
afoot  at  once.  I  say  possibly,  for  I  own  I  was 
immensely  taken  by  his  address ;  his  trusting  me 
with  the  pistol  and  his  evident  power  over  these 
devilish  "gentlemen"  facing  me.  And  yet  I 
had  not  the  slightest  intention  of  proving  false 
to  my  foster-brother.  There  were  many  things 
to  be  considered  in  my  present  situation,  and 
perhaps  the  chief  was,  as  to  how  I  could  rely 
upon  Dew's  good  offices.  That  is  to  say,  how 
long  would  Meyric  Ddu  ap  Morgan,  with  his 
276 


THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON.  2/7 

respect  for  the  old  laws,  hold  in  check  the  buc- 
caneer Dew ;  the  terror  of  the  Spanish  seas.  He 
was,  of  course,  just  as  near  in  the  island  succes- 
sion as  my  foster-brother,  and  if  he  should  choose 
to  have  Will  Barry  bring  over  the  rest  of  the  Ap 
Morgans,  and  there,  in  the  presence  of  them  all, 
to  take  his  chance  in  accordance  with  the  old 
customs,  why,  the  only  objections  I  could  advance 
would  be  on  the  score  of  my  foster-brother's  pos- 
sible loss  and  the  attack  upon  Pwllwen.  Concern- 
ing this  last,  I  felt  certain  that  both  Will  Barry 
and  old  Morris,  with  the  rest  of  their  kindred  to 
boot,  would  be  very  ready  to  find  excuses  for 
Dew,  on  the  score  that  a  man  was  justified  in 
going  any  length  to  recover  the  Jewel.  And 
that  person  himself  could  very  easily  point  to  the 
fact  that  he  had  not  lifted  hand  against  any  man 
until  he  was  stripped  of  the  thing  he  prized  so. 
Altogether,  it  was  difficult  to  decide. 

But,  I  asked  myself,  where  were  these  cut- 
throats in  front  coming  in.  My  stomach  rose, 
as  I  pictured  them  squandering  the  treasure  in 
low  hells  and  dens  in  the  frowsy  slums  of  Bristol. 
Come  what  might,  I  would  have  a  good  try  to  pre- 
vent such  a  sorry  misfortune  as  that.  At  present, 
my  hope  lay  solely  in  their  captain  and  the  power 


2?8  THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON. 

of  the  old  customs  over  him,  and  until  I  knew 
just  what  weight  that  power  had,  I  could  only 
temporise  and  trust  to  fortune. 

Dew  was  looking  ahead  from  where  he  lounged 
by  the  brass  gun,  while  I  sat  on  the  edge  of  its 
platform,  looking  aft.  The  whole  crew,  however, 
were  staring  greedily  at  the  plate  depending  from 
my  neck,  and  thus  I,  alone,  saw  a  thing  which 
cheered  me  immensely.  From  behind  Trwynhir, 
the  sail  of  a  boat  flashed  suddenly  out  and,  after 
keeping  its  way  for  a  dozen  lengths  or  so,  as  sud- 
denly put  back  and  disappeared  again.  I  knew 
that  sail ;  it  was  the  little  gig  of  Pierce  Aros,  and, 
I  doubted  not,  was  gone  to  report  the  pirate 
boat's  appearance  and  apparent  destination. 

When  we  came  to  the  entrance  to  the  neck, 
Dew  himself  went  aft  and  took  the  tiller,  and 
we  went  through  by  the  sweep  of  the  oars  with- 
out the  slightest  trouble,  in  spite  of  her  great 
size.  Making  fast  to  the  rings  at  the  foot  of  the 
steps,  Dew  gave  a  sharp  order,  and  instantly  half 
a  dozen  axes  were  produced  and  a  move  was  made 
for  the  mouth  of  the  glyn.  There  trees  were 
felled  and  stripped,  and  I  wondered  to  see  how 
swiftly  and  in  how  workmanlike  a  fashion  they 
brought  them  down,  and,  afterwards,  how  handily 


THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON.  279 

they  spiked  them  into  the  waters  and  lashed  them 
together.  It  soon  dawned  upon  me  what  was 
meant  by  a  "  boom,"  and  I  could  see  that  when 
it  was  finished  and  made  fast  in  the  neck,  it  would 
be  strong  enough  to  bar  the  passage  of  a  ship, 
let  alone  a  boat.  Evidently,  Dew  did  not  mean 
to  neglect  any  precaution. 

The  place  they  chose  in  which  to  fix  it  was  per- 
fect. They  did  not  fix  it  outside,  nor  yet  in  one 
of  the  crooks :  they  wedged  it  firmly  a  boat's 
length  from  the  turn  into  the  inner  length,  where 
it  slanted  into  the  harbour.  That  is  to  say,  it 
would  allow  an  enemy  to  come  as  far  as  possible 
into  the  trap,  so  that  after  fire  was  opened  upon 
them,  the  distance  back  to  the  sea  would  preclude 
the  slightest  chance  of  escape.  I  thought  of  my 
father  and  his  fire-ship  plan,  and  shuddered. 

Then  tow  saturated  with  pitch  was  got  out,  and 
made  into  balls  with  a  double  handful  of  powder  in 
the  middle  of  each,  and  tied  just  loose  enough  to 
allow  of  being  lighted  and  thrown  down  into  a  boat 
before  exploding.  They  made  nearly  thirty  of 
these.  After  that  they  piled  great  boulders  upon 
the  edge  of  the  cliff,  just  above  the  boom,  and  I 
noted  that  any  one  of  them  would  have  gone 
through  the  stoutest  boat  as  if  she  were  made  of 


280  THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON. 

brown  paper.  Lastly,  a  pile  of  torches  was  pre- 
pared, each  slung  by  a  lashing  long  enough  to 
reach  almost  to  the  water's  edge. 

If  only  half  the  pirates  were  to  lie  ready,  the 
whole  of  the  King's  navy  could  not  have  won 
through  that  gut. 

Nevertheless,  I  did  my  best  to  appear  uncon- 
cerned, and  even  made  shift  to  find  a  word  or  two 
of  praise  in  commendation  of  the  smart  manner  in 
which  they  worked.  Dew's  influence  must  be 
marvellous,  thought  I,  to  make  fellows  of  their 
kidney  sweat  like  that.  When  it  was  finished 
their  captain  gazed  at  me  with  a  meaning  smile, 
but  I  looked  him  fairly  in  the  eye  for  it,  and 
answered  boldly,  "  I  thought  you  depended  upon 
the  old  laws,  sir?" 

"  Ah,  yes ;  but  your  father  and  your  friends  do 
not  know  it,  and  if  I  didn't  fix  that  boom  to  hold 
them  long  enough  to  parley,  I  might  never  find 
time  to  explain,"  replied  he  pleasantly. 

"Why  not  send  word  over  at  once  with  your 
proposals,"  urged  I,  to  that. 

"Quite  right;  just  so.  But  you  forget  that 
though  I  trust  to  the  strength  of  the  old  laws, 
these  men  only  trust  to  my  word,  and  fear  my 
anger.  Which  of  them,  do  you  think,  would  carry 


THE  JEWEL  OF  YNYS  GALON.          281 

the  message  ?  Or,  if  I  were  to  go  myself,  how 
long  do  you  think  it  would  be  before  they  triced 
you  up  by  the  heels  over  a  slow  fire,  in  order  to 
get  from  you  the  secret  of  the  treasure?"  His 
position  with  regard  to  my  proposition  was  as 
unassailable  as  in  the  other  respect. 

"And  now,  good  cousin,"  pursued  he,  "we  will 
get  the  ceremony  under  way.  We  must  be  by 
Belre's  hearth  at  sunset,  if  I  remember  rightly. 
Is  it  not  so?" 

"  It  is,"  replied  I ;  "  but  you  forget  that  all  the 
Ap  Morgans  should  be  by  the  circle  to  attend  to 
it.  What  of  Will  Barry  and  the  rest  ? " 

"Pardon  me;  it  is  yourself  who  forgot.  The 
words  of  Morgan  Ddu  were,  '  all  the  people  on  the 
island.'  Now,  as  the  island  was  uninhabited  when 
I  came  to  it,  I  was  forced  to  bring  people  with  me 
to  make  the  thing  all  legal  and  binding.  You  see 
I  am  well  instructed  on  these  points." 

I  thought  what  a  rare  lawyer  he  would  have 
made,  and  admired  his  thoroughness.  Moreover, 
it  began  to  grow  in  me  that  he  would  stretch  a 
good  many  points  in  order  to  keep  strictly  to  the 
old  customs — which  he  evidently  believed  to  be 
printed  laws,  and  set  amongst  the  Statutes  of  the 
Country;  though  for  that  matter,  so  did  old 


282  THE  JEWEL  OF  YNYS  GALON. 

Morris  and  his  kin.  One  thing,  however:  I  felt 
that  it  would  do  no  good  to  remind  him  that  it 
was  my  father  who  should  attend,  and  not  I,  the 
son.  Therefore  I  made  the  best  of  it,  and  said : 
"  Very  good ;  and  now  we  shall  have  to  hurry,  in 
order  to  get  to  the  spot  in  time." 

He  left  five  rogues  of  the  crew  to  guard  the 
neck,  Horan  and  four  others ;  from  which  I 
judged  that  these  were  the  men  least  likely  to  be 
impressed  by  the  coming  scene,  and  that  he  in- 
tended to  fix  his  power  more  firmly  on  the  rest  by 
means  of  it.  Afterwards  it  was  likely  that  Horan 
would  follow  Polwithy.  Meanwhile,  we  marched. 

As  we  climbed  the  glyn  path,  I  saw  by  the  faces 
of  the  crew,  that  they  fully  believed  in  Dew's  posi- 
tion as  he  had  sketched  it  in  the  boat,  and  re- 
garded my  ready  acceptance  of  it  as  unshakable 
proof  of  its  soundness.  And,  too,  when  we  came 
to  the  spring,  and  I  halted,  pointing  to  it,  and  say- 
ing no  word,  they  shrunk  together  as  Dew  stepped 
instantly  forward,  and,  doffing  his  hat,  knelt,  and 
plunged  his  sword-point  into  the  bowl,  as  the  cus- 
tom had  been  for  all  candidates  since  the  death  of 
Morgan  Ddu.  The  glory  of  the  dying  sun  made 
an  eerie  scene  as  it  outlined,  gleaming  and  flashing 
blood-red,  the  long  stones  of  the  circle,  and  the 


THE  JEWEL  OF  YNYS  GALON.          283 

sweep  of  the  hill  behind,  throwing  their  bulk  and 
shapes  into  sharp  and  dark  relief.  Then  up  rose 
the  captain,  and  we  passed  across  the  little  plain, 
till  I  halted  at  the  two  outer  stones  which  mark 
the  entrance  to  the  ring.  Here,  without  one  word 
from  me,  and  with  as  little  hesitation  as  at  the 
spring,  Dew  took  the  Jewel  from  his  neck  and 
handed  it  to  me. 

Turning  to  the  men,  I  was  almost  startled  to 
see  the  awe  in  their  faces.  Addressing  them  at 
once,  I  commanded  them  to  take  their  places  in 
the  shadow  betwixt  the  sweep  of  the  hill  and  the 
line  of  the  circle.  They  went  like  priests  at  a 
mass.  Then,  entering  Nuada's  house  alone,  I 
strode  over  to  the  great  cromlech  and  laid  the 
Jewel  on  its  eastern  end. 

Looking  to  the  entrance,  my  back  to  the  sun- 
set, I  lifted  my  voice  and  cried  aloud  the  old 
formula  : 

"  Men  of  Ynys  Galon !  men  of  the  keel  and 
steel !  Red  Hands  all !  Hearken !  The  Lord 
of  Ynys  Galon  is  dead !  Who  will  be  Lord  in 
his  room  ? " 

And  clear  and  bold  came  the  voice  of  Dew, 
speaking  in  Welsh,  as  I  had  done : 

"  I  will  be  Lord  of  Ynys  Galon  !  " 


284          THE  JEWEL  OF  YNYS  GALON. 

"Then  come  thou  hither,  son  of  Morgan  Ddu. 
Lay  thy  hand  upon  the  Jewel,  and  claim  the 
right  to  wear  it." 

With  a  bearing  so  goodly  to  see  that  I  grew 
proud  of  our  kinship,  and  with  the  red  light  mak- 
ing his  face  all  of  a  ruddy  and  unearthly  aspect, 
he  strode  across  to  the  cromlech.  His  right  hand 
shook  aloft  his  sword ;  his  left  he  laid  upon  the 
Jewel,  darkening  its  bloody  rays  below,  the  while 
his  blade  made  crimson  lightnings  above.  Fixing 
his  gaze  upon  the  point  where  the  earn  showed 
against  the  sunset,  he  shouted  in  a  rapt  voice  that 
shook  away  all  my  distrust  of  him : 

"  I,  Meyric  Ddu  ap  Morgan,  here  claim  to  be 
the  chiefest  of  the  Sons  of  Morgan  ! " 

Swift  upon  the  heel  of  that,  I  followed  with  the 
final  words:  "Hear  ye!  reapers  of  the  sea's  har- 
vest !  one  claims  the  lordship  over  you.  If  any 
man  of  you  deny  his  right,  then  let  that  one  take 
up  the  challenge  when,  at  sunrise  to-morrow,  he 
stands  here  to  be  invested  !  " 

With  the  last  echo  of  my  words,  that  the  sun 
might  not  disappear  while  we  were  yet  within 
Nuada's  house,  we  two  turned  and  strode  out  of 
the  circle,  leaving  the  Jewel  to  blaze  upon  the 
cromlech  and  light  the  evil  spirits,  who,  on  such 


THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON.          285 

a  night,  must  troop  from  every  side  to  hold  their 
hellish  revels  in  the  ring.  The  evening  ceremony 
was  done. 

Halting  at  the  entrance,  I  bade  the  crew  come 
over,  and,  as  they  obeyed,  I  noted  how  they  were 
careful  to  pass  round  outside  the  circle.  The  ex- 
pression on  their  features  was  such  as  I  could  not 
hitherto  have  believed  possible  with  such  villains. 

There  was  a  reverent  awe  and  superstitious  ter- 
ror mingling  in  their  look  that  more  than  justified 
the  captain's  idea  in  bringing  them  here.  The 
unknown  tongue  had  helped  to  deepen  the  im- 
pression upon  them. 

Then  I  led  the  way  down  the  glyn  to  Treforgan 
once  more,  and  the  men  closed  up  in  a  hurrying 
mob,  casting  fearful  looks  behind  at  every  step. 
There  could  be  no  danger  of  any  one  of  them 
stealing  that  Jewel  in  the  night ;  they  would  as 
soon  have  stolen  the  eye  of  Satan  himself. 

When  we  reached  the  harbour  we  found  that 
Horan  and  three  of  the  men  had  landed  the  stores 
from  the  barge,  as  I  contemptuously  termed  their 
boat,  in  mental  comparison  with  my  father's  long 
boat,  and  that  the  brass  gun  had  been  landed, 
and  now  stood  pointing  directly  into  the  inner 
slant  of  the  neck.  The  sight  of  that,  however, 


286          THE  JEWEL  OF  YNYS  GALON. 

instead  of  breeding  despair  in  me,  roused  a  stub- 
born ferocity  of  belief  in  the  certainty  of  my  near 
rescue.  Dew,  I  knew,  was  no  mean  foe,  as  might 
be  expected  from  his  blood ;  but  when  I  compared 
the  rest  of  this  crew  with  the  men  my  father  was 
to  bring,  —  Will  Barry  leading  Morris  Las  and  the 
Ap  Morgans,  —  I  swore  within  my  soul  that  there 
could  only  be  one  end  to  it  all.  Will  Barry  had 
said  that  he  had  a  plan  for  capturing  the  island. 
I  would  back  that  plan,  of  which  I  knew  nothing, 
against  even  these  elaborate  dispositions  for  re- 
sistance, any  day. 

So  mightily  did  my  own  faith  comfort  me,  that 
I  sniffed  approvingly  as  the  odour  of  the  nearly- 
cooked  supper  assailed  my  nostrils,  and  I  was  right 
glad  to  notice  that  they  were  no  niggard  providers. 
That  old  barge  must  have  been  as  deep  as  she  was 
long  to  have  held  so  great  a  store  of  provisions,  in 
addition  to  five  and  twenty  cutthroats  and  my- 
self. But  Dew  motioned  to  me,  and  we  passed  on 
through  the  kitchen  and  into  the  inner  room.  I 
watched  his  face  narrowly,  as  he  entered  behind 
me,  to  see  if  his  glance  would  seek  for  traces  of 
his  former  victims,  but  he  never  so  much  as 
drooped  an  eyelid.  So  completely  did  he  seem 
at  ease,  that  I  was  half  minded  to  tell  him  of  my 


THE  JEWEL  OF  YNYS  GALON.          287 

adventure  with  Polwithy,  for  the  pleasure  of  hear- 
ing him  denounce  that  villain's  story  as  a  lie.  I 
even  began  to  believe  that  Polwithy  had  received 
his  wound  in  a  fight  with  Dickson,  whom  he  had 
afterwards  slain.  I  remembered  that  the  one  had 
repaid  my  kindness  by  an  attempt  upon  my  life, 
while  the  other  had  given  me  a  pistol  wherewith 
to  shoot  himself. 

Without  pausing,  my  companion  led  the  way 
to  where  a  sea-chest  had  been  set  out  as  a  table, 
with  a  couple  of  kegs  at  opposite  ends  to  serve 
for  seats.  Upon  the  centre  of  the  box  stood  two 
gold  candlesticks  of  the  finest  and  rarest  workman- 
ship, halting  my  eye  at  once  by  their  flawless 
beauty.  Dew  saw  my  arrested  gaze,  and  smiled 
deprecatingly. 

"  Ah,  yes,  they  are  very  fine.  I  got  them  from 
the  Governor  of  San  Juan  Batista.  I  have  treas- 
ured them  jealously  against  this  night." 

Then  I  noticed,  beside  the  candlesticks,  a  tall 
silver  flagon,  as  fine  in  its  way  as  the  former. 
Dew  explained  again.  "  I  got  that  from  the  Mis- 
sion when  I  took  San  Paulo.  The  good  Brothers 
ever  like  to  take  their  wine  from  a  worthy  vessel." 
He  might  have  been  speaking  of  buying  them  in 
Cheapside,  so  courtly  and  deprecating  was  his 


288          THE  JEWEL  OF  YNYS  GALON. 

smile.  I  glanced  involuntarily  towards  the  kitchen, 
but  he  interpreted  the  look  at  once.  "  Ah,  no ! 
my  villains  know  my  little  weakness,  and  they  do 
not  trouble  these  trinkets.  It  is  unlucky  to  do 
so.  These  I  have  cherished  in  order  that  I  might 
worthily  entertain  my  protector  at  my  installing. 
It  is  also  my  gift  to  him,  according  to  the  com- 
mand of  Morgan  Ddu.  They  are  yours,  cousin." 

So  touched  was  I  at  his  explanation,  betraying 
as  it  did  the  depth  of  his  resolves  and  the  stead- 
fastness of  his  hopes,  that  I  could  not  keep  from 
offering  him  my  hand  and  bursting  out,  "You 
are  a  true  son  of  Morgan,  cousin  !  " 

And  I  remember  to  this  day  the  honest  pressure 
of  the  hand  he  gave  me. 

The  candles  were  burning,  for  it  was  already 
dusk,  and  at  this  juncture  a  dark,  Spanish-looking 
fellow  appeared,  bringing  in  a  savoury  mess  which 
he  set  upon  the  chest  to  flank  the  various  appe- 
tisers already  there.  Dew  seemed  to  have  brought 
the  elements  of  a  royal  feast,  believing  implicitly 
in  the  luck  of  the  Jewel.  Before  we  sat  down  he 
took  from  another  and  smaller  chest  in  the  corner, 
a  couple  of  bottles  of  a  rare  vintage  of  Alicante, 
which  he  poured  into  the  tall  silver  flagon,  whence 
he  filled  two  goblets  to  match. 


THE  JEWEL  OF  YNYS  GALON.  289 

"  Can  you  drink  to  my  success  in  this  enter- 
prise ? "  said  he  to  me,  and  I  caught  so  manly  a 
wistfulness  in  his  eyes,  that  I  felt  myself  but  a 
mean  sort  indeed  in  that  I  could  not  answer  him 
in  accordance  with  his  hopes. 

"Yet,"  said  I,  as  I  saw  his  face  fall,  "I  can  do 
this.  I  can  drink  to  you  for  as  gallant  a  man 
as  ever  followed  the  laws  of  Morgan  Ddu,  and  I 
can  say  that  if  any  harm  befalls  you,  I  shall  ever 
remember  you  as  you  would  lievest  be  remem- 
bered. And  I  ask  you  to  think  as  little  harshly 
of  me  as  you  can  for  my  words,  but  in  truth  your 
rival  is  my  own  foster-brother." 

Then  he  did  increase  my  shame  the  more.  "  I 
love  you  the  better  for  that,  cousin.  Not  many 
men  would  have  spoken  the  truth  to  Dew,  the 
buccaneer,  when  he  hoped  for  a  different  answer ; 
and  none  could  have  so  taken  the  sting  from  the 
words.  Nevertheless,  do  you  honour  me  by  drink- 
ing to  me  as  you  may,  and  when  supper  is  ended 
I  will  tell  you  a  story  to  while  the  time." 

His  words  and  manner  both  so  much  affected 
me  that  all  the  health  I  could  speak  was  "  Heaven 
help  you,  cousin  ! "  ere  I  drained  it  to  the  dregs. 
He  bowed  with  grave  patience  to  that. 

So,  too,  I  think  he  saw  my  distress,  for  he 
u 


2QO  THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON. 

motioned  me  to  be  seated  and  then  set  himself 
to  do  the  honours  of  the  board.  Well  and  gal- 
lantly did  he  acquit  himself  of  the  task,  and  ere 
five  minutes  were  past  he  had  chased  the  melan- 
choly from  my  spirits,  and  I  was  alternately  laugh- 
ing at  some  merry  quip,  or  smiling  in  appreciation 
of  some  subtle  turn  of  humour.  Anon  I  would 
be  poising  my  fork,  in  utter  forgetfulness  of  it, 
while  I  waited  to  hear  the  upturn  of  some  wild 
adventure  or  some  churl  stroke  of  fortune.  He 
possessed  that  great  advantage  over  old  Morris : 
he  could  not  only  play  a  stirring  part,  he  could 
recount  it  stirringly. 

The  reader  is  to  understand  that  these  accidents 
of  Fate  were  all  told  of  as  appertaining  to  enter- 
prises undertaken  against  the  Dons  or  the  French, 
and,  as  such,  the  natural  enemies  of  Britain  at  all 
times  ;  though  upon  occasions  the  King's  ministers 
may  deem  it  politic  to  patch  up  a  truce  and  call  it 
"  peace." 

And,  moreover,  Will  Barry  had  already  three 
times  headed  such  expeditions  against  the  coasts 
of  Spain  during  the  late  war  with  that  country. 
And  this  only  by  way  of  keeping  the  old  blood  in 
tune. 

Then  when  the  meal  was  ended,  the  same  for- 


THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON.  29 1 

eigner,  whom  my  cousin  called  Dago,  removed  the 
dishes  and  replenished  the  candlesticks  with  new 
wax  candles,  leaving  us  thereafter  to  the  enjoy- 
ment of  the  flagon  and  its  contents. 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

RECOUNTING  AN  ENEMY'S  ENTERTAINMENT. 

" COUSIN,"  began  Dew,  "perhaps  it  will  help 
you  to  understand  me  better  if  I  tell  you  a  little 
about  my  life.  Anyhow,  I  am  going  to  talk  about 
it,  for  I  feel  like  doing  so.  I  have  waited  so  long 
for  this  night,  that  I  feel  somewhat  peculiar  now 
that  it  has  come  at  last." 

And  then  he  went  on  to  tell  me  how  he  was 
brought  up  by  his  mother.  From  his  earliest 
years  she  had  filled  his  mind  with  the  glories  of 
Ynys  Galon  and  its  people  ;  magnifying  them  with 
the  loving  extravagance  of  womankind,  and  pict- 
uring his  own  future  life  as  lord  of  it.  Mothers 
instil  religion  into  their  children,  and  this  was  her 
religion,  and  her  son  was  the  devoutest  of  believers. 
As  he  grew  up  she  put  weapons  in  his  hands  and 
bade  him  learn  their  use  ;  for  by  them  he  must  live, 
as  his  people  had  done  before  him.  She  allowed 
him  to  listen  to  the  tales  of  buccaneering  with 
which  the  Western  Indies  resounded;  yet  never 

292 


THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON.  293 

failed  to  express  her  scorn  of  those  pitiful  cut- 
throat rogues  who  found  their  prey  in  peaceful 
ships ;  telling  him  ever,  that  the  Sons  of  Morgan 
fell  foul  only  of  tall  treasure-ships  or  ships  that 
carried  the  friends  of  Kings.  Sometimes  they  had 
taken  ships  wherein  beautiful  ladies  of  Spain  were 
crossing  the  seas,  that  they  might  have  them  to 
wife ;  but  they  had  ever  remained  sea-wolves,  not 
sneaking,  snarling  curs.  Walled  cities  and  close- 
peopled  coasts  they  had  harried,  and  they  had 
ever  thought  more  of  meeting  keen  swords  than 
of  gathering  the  spoil. 

In  short,  she  had  thrown  so  fair  a  robe  upon  the 
figure  of  her  people,  that  the  heart  of  her  son  was 
all  ablaze  whenever  his  mind  rested  upon  it. 

In  her  house  she  kept  a  kind  of  quiet  state,  as 
became  the  daughter  of  a  king,  which  she  held  her- 
self to  be.  In  leaving  Ulloth,  she  had  seized  upon 
sufficient  of  his  ill-gotten  hoards  to  keep  her,  and 
so  the  lad,  their  son,  had  been  continually  brought 
in  contact  with  the  governors  of  the  island  and 
their  chief  people.  Hence  the  appearance  of  good 
breeding  which  he  carried.  Then,  when  he  was  a 
young  man,  she  died,  conjuring  him  with  her  last 
breath  to  take  the  Jewel  and  sail  for  Pwllwen. 
There  he  was  to  present  himself  and  tell  his  story 


294  THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON. 

in  the  Hall  of  Dolgoch,  and  ask  my  father's  coun- 
tenance for  his  claim  to  rule  the  island. 

Accordingly  he  took  ship,  but  the  breath  of  the 
sea  called  his  father's  blood  to  life  in  him,  and, 
when  a  buccaneer  laid  them  aboard  ere  they  were 
six  days  out,  he  threw  in  his  lot  with  them,  and  so 
became  the  Dew  whose  name  was  a  word  where- 
with nurses  by  the  shores  of  the  Spanish  main 
terrified  their  charges  into  obedience. 

Yet  I  was  glad  to  remember  the  words  Polwithy 
used,  when  that  conscienceless  scoundrel  told  me 
that  his  captain  had  never  held  gold  for  the  chief 
end  of  his  enterprises :  rather  looking  upon  it  as 
something  wherewith  to  reward  his  followers,  and 
make  the  bravest  of  the  buccaneers  more  eager  to 
enlist  under  him  aboard  the  "  Wauhoo." 

And  here  was  another  touch,  for  Dew  hinted 
that  he  had  avoided  calling  his  ship  "  Cigfach 
Nuada"  till  he  could  sail  her  out  of  Treforgan 
harbour. 

Further,  he  blazed  into  fierce  wrath  as  he  spoke 
of  the  hour  when,  at  Pwllwen,  he  first  heard  of  his 
father's  cruel  massacre  of  his  mother's  people. 

All  this  he  told  me,  I  say,  but  I  could  never 
convey  to  any  reader  the  charm  of  his  speech  and 
the  fascinating  manner  of  it  all.  So  completely 


THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS   GALON.  295 

did  he  cast  the  glamour  over  me,  that  my  mind 
went  charging  about  like  a  loose  stallion,  seeking 
some  way  of  escape  for  him  from  the  doom  which 
I  was  so  certain  would  befall  his  crew.  More 
especially  was  this  so  when  he  referred  to  his  dis- 
appointment upon  the  occasion  of  his  first  coming 
to  Pwllwen  and  finding  my  father  away.  He 
touched  very  lightly  upon  his  two  encounters  with 
Will  Barry,  and  when  he  mentioned  the  attack 
upon  Pwllwen,  he  stood  swift  to  his  feet  and  swore 
how  good  it  had  been  to  see  the  way  we  fought. 
With  a  ship's  crew  of  such  men,  he  would  engage 
to  make  all  South  America  pay  its  yearly  tribute 
to  Ynys  Galon,  instead  of  to  Madrid  or  Lisbon. 

And  thereat  I  rose  also,  and  looked  him  in  the 
eye,  for  I  was  proud  of  my  own  people,  and  prouder 
yet  to  see  how  their  prowess  had  moved  such  a 
one  as  Dew.  His  escape  was  easy  enough,  he 
had  merely  pulled  out  into  the  darkness  and  then 
gone  back  to  Bristol.  Knowing  that  his  case 
with  my  father  would  be  prejudiced  by  what  had 
happened,  he  gathered  a  crew  and  loaded  up  the 
same  boat  as  before,  to  defend  the  island  with, 
until  he  could  get  parley  with  my  father;  after 
which,  the  Jewel  in  his  hand  would  establish  his 
ground. 


296          THE  JEWEL  OF  YNYS  GALON. 

When  all  his  tale  was  ended,  we  both  fell  silent 
for  a  minute,  and  it  was  the  sound  of  carousing  in 
the  next  room  which  roused  us  from  reverie. 
"Let  us  go  and  see  how  things  are  in  there," 
said  he,  rising  and  leading  the  way  as  he  spoke. 

I  followed  him  at  once,  grateful  for  the  break 
in  my  embarrassment,  and  wishing  to  have  another 
look  at  the  villains  over  whom  he  exercised  such 
an  undoubted  mastery.  One  glance  sufficed  to 
show  that  they  were  well  under  the  influence  of 
rum,  partly  following  their  usual  habit,  as  I  sup- 
pose, but  much  more  from  an  eager  desire  to 
shake  off  the  remembrance  of  that  weird  scene 
by  Belre's  hearth.  Horan  and  his  four  were 
absent,  being  the  first  relief  of  the  guard  set  upon 
the  neck.  Just  as  we  two  had  crossed,  however, 
and  were  standing  with  our  backs  to  the  fire  in 
the  great  chimney,  we  heard  a  noise  by  the  door, 
and  Horan  and  his  companions  entered.  There 
was  a  queer  look  upon  the  faces  of  the  five,  and  I 
wondered  to  see  them  march  defiantly  into  the 
centre  of  the  room,  while  the  leader  strode  further 
over  and  planted  himself  before  Dew.  It  was 
plain  at  a  glance  that  they  were  deeper  in  liquor 
than  the  rest 

Hitching  his  cutlass  round  suggestively,  Horan 


THE  JEWEL  OF  YNYS  GALON.  297 

addressed  his  captain  in  an  insolent  tone.  "How 
many  devils  are  there  aboard  this  island,  anyhow, 
Dew?" 

"  Dew  ? "  repeated  the  one  addressed,  with  a 
rising  inflection. 

"  Well  —  Cap'n  Dew,  then,"  growled  the  other. 

"Five  and  twenty,  if  I  count  right,"  answered 
my  cousin  smoothly.  Twenty-five  was  just  the 
number  of  the  crew,  without  the  captain. 

An  unsteady  laugh  went  round  at  that,  and 
"  One  for  you,  Horan,"  called  a  man  from  the 
shadows. 

This  seemed  to  rile  the  fellow  beyond  bounds, 
for  he  blundered  out  a  great  oath  and  shouted, 
"  You  missed  count,  Dew  ;  there's  one  here,  the 
biggest  devil  that  ever  sailed,  and  that's  yourself. 
And  there's  another  out  there  —  a  dead  one  — 
a-floating  and  a-whispering  up  the  harbour,  and 
the  moonlight's  on  his  face  —  Polwithy's  face ! 
Polwithy,  that  you  murdered  !  Blast  you  !  " 

"  That  is  a  lie,  fellow !  "  I  struck  in  hotly.  "  I 
killed  Polwithy,  the  scoundrel !  He  tried  to 
murder  me  when  I  was  taking, him  over  to  be 
nursed  and  doctored,  so  I  shot  him  and  sunk  him 
in  the  neck,  where  you'll  soon  be  to  keep  him 
company." 


298  THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS   GALON. 

I  never  shifted  an  eye,  but,  none  the  less,  I  could 
see  how  straight  they  all  sat  up  at  that.  As  for 
the  one  before  me,  he  staggered  back  a  pace,  till, 
seeming  to  do  so  from  sheer  confused  bravado, 
he  flung  his  hat  in  my  face.  My  left  hand 
stopped  that;  my  right  took  him  full  and  fair 
in  the  neck,  and  he  fell  with  a  thud  at  the  feet 
of  the  four  who  came  with  him. 

Before  any  one  could  move,  almost  before  the 
senseless  lump  had  dropped,  Dew's  sword  was 
flashing  and  snaking  in  the  firelight,  but  not 
keener  or  harder  in  its  seeming  than  the  voice 
in  which  he  spoke. 

"Take  that,"  pointing  to  Horan,  "and  throw 
it  into  the  harbour,  to  join  Polwithy.  Quick!  or 
you  shall  be  tied  back  to  back,  and  go  with  him." 

Just  for  one  spell,  while  a  man  might  count  six, 
the  four  hesitated.  Then  that  long  sword  flashed 
to  the  ready,  and  with  swift  terror  they  seized 
their  ringleader  and  began  to  drag  him  out.  The 
captain  followed  till  he  stood  in  the  doorway  and 
I  beside  him.  Then  immediately  there  sounded 
a  splash,  and  I  heard  a  long  sigh  of  relief  go  round 
the  room  behind  me.  I  do  not  now  recollect 
reasoning  upon  it  then,  but  at  the  splash,  I  re- 
membered only  that  Horan  was  senseless  and 


DEW  DOOMS  KORAN 


THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS   GALON.  299 

that  I  was  the  cause  of  it.  I  forgot  that  he  was 
a  pirate,  and  only  remembered  that  he  was  a  soul 
at  the  gates  of  Death.  Swift  as  thought,  I 
sprang  to  the  edge  of  the  harbour  and  leaped 
in.  Coming  to  the  surface,  I  struck  out  at  once 
for  the  body,  which  I  could  see  only  a  length  or 
so  away.  Darting  my  hand  out  to  clutch  its 
hair,  my  fingers  struck  into  a  ragged  hole  in  its 
neck,  and  with  a  half  yell  of  horror,  I  dashed  my 
hand  wildly  into  the  water  ahead  to  cleanse  it 
and  to  escape  from  that  ghastly  object,  which  the 
thrill  in  my  bones  told  me  to  be  Polwithy.  The 
building  of  the  boom  had  stirred  the  deeps  and 
he  had  come  grinning  up,  to  make  the  harbour 
horrible  with  his  grisly  presence. 

Horan  had  disappeared  completely,  and  I  felt 
sick ;  as  if  the  water  that  floated  the  corpse  were 
foul  contamination.  As  speedily  as  I  could,  I 
regained  the  steps  where  Dew  himself  was  wait- 
ing with  extended  hand.  "  The  act  became  you, 
cousin ;  but  it  was  necessary  to  punish  him." 

I  did  not  answer  save  with  a  shudder,  as  I 
remembered  the  contact  with  the  wound  I  had 
myself  inflicted.  He  took  it  to  be  a  chill  from 
the  water,  and  made  haste  to  lead  me  inside  to 
the  fire. 


300  THE  JEWEL  OF  YNYS  GALON. 

"  That  was  Polwithy  I  caught  hold  of,"  said  I, 
in  explanation,  as  I  stood  with  my  back  to  the 
hearth.  "The  devils  are  gathering  from  every 
cave  and  bush,  every  shadow  and  twisted  tree; 
trooping  to  the  house  of  Nuada  in  answer  to  the 
beacon  blaze  of  the  Jewel  on  Belre's  Stone.  And 
now  the  very  dead  devils  are  answering  the  call  — 
Polwithy  first,  and  next  Dickson  and  Horan  —  the 
water  will  be  choked  with  corpses  coming  in  and 
up  the  harbour  before  morning."  I  was  thinking 
of  the  coming  attack  and  its  probable  conse- 
quences ;  but  the  men  who  heard,  took  it  for 
some  goblin  effect  which  I  was  to  bring  about,  as 
part  of  the  ghoulish  customs  of  this  weird  and 
fearsome  island. 

And  I  was  happy  in  remembering  that  later. 

Meanwhile,  Dew  ordered  four  fresh  men  on 
guard,  making  the  old  four  sit  well  forward  into 
the  light  of  the  fire,  while  he  sat  down  to  talk  to 
them  all. 

He  did  not  speak  of  their  doings  on  the  Spanish 
main,  nor  of  anything  which  had  befallen  in  their 
own  day ;  but  he  went  ranging  back  to  the  hoar 
days  of  this  island  on  which  they  were  now.  He 
told  of  Belre  and  her  hideous  feasts ;  of  Nuada 
and  the  shrieking  of  the  crews  as  he  devoured 


THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON.  301 

them ;  of  the  thousands  of  dead  devils  and  foul 
sprites  that  stalked  the  cliffs  and  glyns  by  night, 
and  held  special  power  and  revel  in  the  hours 
betwixt  the  sunset  and  sunrise,  when  the  grim 
Jewel  lay  masterless  upon  the  cromlech  awaiting 
the  strong  grasp  of  a  new  chief.  A  hundred  tales 
of  dread  he  touched  upon,  which  he  must  have 
learnt  from  his  mother.  I  think  he  spoke  of  these 
things  in  order  to  impress  the  listening  villains 
with  an  awe  of  a  man  who  would  choose  to  be 
king  of  such  a  place.  For  he  gave  them  to 
understand  that  the  spirits  of  Belre  and  Nuada 
would  be  at  his  command,  as  they  had  been  at 
that  of  Morgan  Ddu,  to  whom  Belre  had  come 
again  in  the  form  of  a  witch,  bound  to  obey  and 
serve  the  chief  of  the  island  so  long  as  the  Jewel 
remained  upon  it. 

When  at  last  he  ceased,  it  was  long  past  mid- 
night. Calling  then,  to  four  fresh  men,  he  bade 
them  go  and  relieve  the  other  guard.  If  he  had 
named  them  for  instant  execution,  I  do  not  think 
they  could  have  shown  a  greater  terror,  and  it  was 
only  the  fear  of  being  flung  to  keep  company  with 
Horan  that  prevailed  to  make  them  obey  at  all. 
When  they  were  gone,  and  the  other  guard  re- 
turned, Dew  bade  them  all  good  night,  leaving 


302  THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON~. 

them  as  sober  with  dread  as  we  had  found  them 
drunk  with  rum.  "And  hark  ye ;  Cuttley,  and  you, 
Blunt,  and  you  two  also,  Porritt  and  Pilling,"  - 
naming  the  four  who  had  drowned  Horan —  "you 
will  be  ready  to  relieve  the  guard  at  break  of 
day." 

But  not  one  of  them  could  pluck  up  courage  to 
answer  us  with  "  Good  night !  " 

The  Dago  had  lit  fresh  candles  again,  and  now 
Dew  brought  forth  another  bottle  of  Alicante,  say- 
ing, as  he  drew  the  cork,  that  it  would  fortify  me 
against  the  chill.  Then  we  both  fell  a-thinking  as 
we  sat ;  I,  concerning  some  escape  for  him,  and 
he,  of  the  near  fruition  of  his  hopes.  At  length 
he  got  up.  "  I  cannot  sleep  to-night,"  he  said. 
"  I  shall  climb  over  to  that  great  boss  of  rock  op- 
posite, yonder ;  I  wish  to  dream  alone.  There  are 
your  own  blankets  against  the  wall.  Good  night, 
cousin." 

"Good  night,  cousin,"  I  returned  simply,  hold- 
ing out  my  hand.  I  like  to  remember  that  hand- 
shake. 

But  ere  he  went,  he  motioned  me  to  help  him 
barricade  the  doorway  with  the  kegs  and  chest, 
and,  when  that  was  done,  handed  me  his  pistols, 
saying  quietly :  "  Don't  hesitate  to  use  them  if  you 


THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON.  303 

are  attacked.  I  shall  hear,  and  will  come  to  help 
you.  Good  night,  again." 

Then,  passing  over  the  barricade,  he  stepped 
lightly  across  the  sleeping  crew  out  into  the  open, 
and  was  softly  gone  to  meditations,  which  I  de- 
voutly hoped  might  include  a  prayer  for  his  wild 
soul's  salvation. 

I  saw  him  pass  the  harbour  head,  and  plunge 
into  the  thicket  that  filled  a  shallow  draw,  or  short 
valley,  which  gave  the  easiest  access  to  the  boss 
of  which  he  spoke,  though  I  knew  it  to  be  much 
farther  away  than  he  imagined. 


CHAPTER   XXII. 

TELLING  OF  THE  BLOODY  COMBAT  OF  TY  MAWR. 

I  DID  not  feel  like  sleeping  any  more  than  Dew 
did,  but  I  stood  by  the  window,  watching  the 
moon  that  rode  so  lovely  in  the  heavens  opposite. 
How  long  I  kept  my  post  there,  I  do  not  know, 
but  I  was  roused  by  a  rush  of  feet  approaching, 
and  the  next  instant  the  terrified  guard  dashed 
past,  and  into  the  kitchen. 

"The  corpses!  the  corpses!"  I  heard  one 
trembling  voice  sing  out.  "  D'ye  remember,  boys, 
the  young  one  saying  that  gut  would  be  full  of 
corpses  coming  in?  They're  here,  now !  the  gut 
is  alive  with  'em  !  Blue  devils  popping  up  from 
the  bottom,  and  every  one  with  a  sword  through 
him,  and  the  hilt  sticking  out  of  his  left  shoulder." 

"Then,  that's  Dew's  doing  'cause  of  Horan," 
cried  Blunt's  voice,  in  answer.  "He  wants  the 
treasure  for  himself,  and  so  he's  got  this  infernal 
younker  inside  to  fetch  these  devils  to  eat  us  up, 
like  that  chap  he  called  Neeata,  He's  gone  out 
304 


THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON.  305 

of  the  way  himself :  I  woke  up  as  he  went  out  o' 
the  door.  The  young  un's  inside  though,  and  I'm 
going  to  kill  him  first,  before  I'm  done  for  —  I'll 
take  my  oath  on  that." 

"  Me,  too ! "  shouted  Pilling,  and  at  once  I 
heard  a  rush  for  the  barricade. 

I  stood  stock  still  listening  to  all  this,  and  now, 
just  as  the  move  commenced,  I  saw  a  figure  rise 
from  the  stairhead  outside ;  a  figure  all  wet  and 
glistening  in  the  moonlight ;  a  figure  dressed  only 
in  blue  knitted  shirt,  with  dark  small  clothes,  and 
stockings ;  a  figure  that  threw  up  its  right  hand  to 
its  left  shoulder,  and  from  over  it  drew  the  long 
bright  sword  that  I  knew  so  well  —  it  was  the 
figure  of  my  foster-brother. 

Behind  him  crowded  my  father,  and  after  him 
again,  old  Morris,  and  the  Ap  Morgans,  and  as 
they  came,  I  shouted  in  wild  triumph,  "  A  rescue  ! 
A  rescue ! "  Then  at  top  speed,  I  was  beside  the 
door,  pistol  in  hand,  just  in  time  to  meet  Blunt,  as 
he  burst  away  the  barricade.  The  candles  behind 
me  were  still  burning,  but  I  needed  no  light,  for  I 
did  not  pull  the  trigger  till  the  muzzle  touched  his 
body.  Straight  at  the  report  he  pitched  back- 
ward, while  his  fingers  unclenched  from  the  hilt 
of  his  heavy  cutlass,  which  I  had  seized  at  firing. 


306  THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON. 

But  it  was  not  one  man's  death  that  saved  me. 
With  the  thud  of  Blunt's  fall  I  heard  the  clash  of 
sweeping  steel  in  the  kitchen,  and,  over  all,  my 
father's  voice  ringing  out  the  old  war-cry,  "Dol- 
goch  !  Dolgoch  !  " 

How  my  blood  leaped  up  in  answer  at  that  sum- 
mons to  the  grim  joys  of  battle!  It  was  no  com- 
mon fight  hurtling  beyond.  Caught  like  wolves 
in  a  trap, — no  exit  save  by  the  door  through 
which,  with  red  steel,  my  rescuers  were  pouring, 
the  pirates  fought  with  a  desperation  worthy  of 
the  men  whose  names  carried  unspeakable  terror 
through  so  many  coasts.  Some  had  flung  faggots 
on  the  fire  to  make  light ;  some  had  lit  torches 
and  stuck  them  in  the  rusty  brackets  on  the  wall, 
or  thrown  them  into  the  faces  of  the  attackers  to 
discomfit  and  dismay  them.  Others  again  held 
their  links  aloft,  and  all  were  ready  to  meet  cut 
with  guard,  thrust  with  parry,  or  to  answer  the 
shout  of  challenge  with  the  crack  of  pistol  or  the 
crash  of  musket.  The  kitchen  was  wide  and  lofty, 
and  gave  them  good  room  for  this,  the  last  and 
hardest  handplay  of  their  blood-weltered  lives. 
And  well  they  profited  by  it.  It  was  a  bitter  on- 
set as  ever  befell. 

Sword-blade  and  cutlass ;   half-pike  and   board- 


THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON.  307 

ing-axe ;  I  could  hear  them  cling-clanging  like 
smiths  at  anvil  stroke.  Every  blow  seemed  to 
find  an  echo  in  my  breast ;  the  panted  "  Ho  !  " 
that  came  with  each  fiercer  swing  stirred  me  to 
frenzy.  Then  I  heard  a  fall  that  seemed  to  single 
itself  out  from  all  the  rest,  and  instantly  Will 
Barry's  voice  followed  through  all  the  din  :  "Cover 
Dolgoch  !  Nuada !  Nuada !  "  This  lifting  of  their 
own  battle-cry  by  Will  and  the  Ap  Morgans  pro- 
claimed them  lordless,  and  meant  that  my  father 
was  down,  and  I  forgot  all  other  things  in  that. 

"  Cover  Dolgoch ! "  I  yelled  in  a  passion  of 
fear,  as,  with  steel  and  pistol  at  the  ready,  I 
leaped  through  the  doorway  and  fell  upon  two 
who  were  guarding  it.  So  sudden  was  I  that  I 
cut  down  one  before  he  could  engage  me,  whereat 
the  other,  Dago,  fairly  bolted.  Then  firing  my 
pistol  full  into  the  teeth  of  Pilling,  as  he  turned 
to  meet  me,  I  flung  myself  against  the  thick  of 
them  from  the  rear,  repeating  the  yell,  "  Cover 
Dolgoch !  " 

Old  Morris  always  swore  this  saved  my  father, 
for  the  pirates  had  bent  all  their  energies  to  beat- 
ing off  his  defenders,  that  they  might  finish  him 
where  he  lay,  as  being  the  leader.  But  my  on- 
slaught took  them  so  by  surprise  that  they,  for 


308          THE  JEWEL  OF  YNYS  GALON. 

an  instant,  gave  back  a  full  two  paces,  and  as  I 
dashed  through  I  saw  my  father  lying  wounded, 
with  Will  standing  astride  his  shoulders,  torch  on 
high  and  blade  advanced,  and  Huw  Trooper  just 
recovering  himself  from  a  lunge  which  had  reached 
its  mark,  as  the  trickling  blood  upon  the  blade 
showed.  My  coming  seemed  to  make  a  pause,  in 
which  my  foster-brother  whispered  to  assure  me 
that  my  father  was  not  dead,  while  Huw  Trooper 
dragged  his  master's  limp  form  out  from  under 
foot  and  into  the  open.  Since  my  father  was 
fallen,  I  was  now  become  the  leader,  whose  right 
and  duty  it  was  to  cry  the  old  battle-shout  and 
keep  it  farthest  in  front.  But  first  I  turned  to  old 
Morris  beside  me.  "  Dew  is  away  on  the  South 
Cliff.  Take  a  couple  of  men  with  you,  and  head 
him  off  at  the  glyn-mouth.  Capture  him  alive, 
not  dead!  Do  not  kill  him  on  any  account." 

Lowering  his  half-pike,  all  gouted  like  a  butcher's 
poll-axe  as  it  was,  he  nodded  grimly,  backing  out 
without  hesitation,  and  touching  Pierce  Aros  and 
Mat  Anthony  to  follow  as  he  went. 

Having  thus  provided  against  our  being  taken 
in  rear  by  one  who  was  a  host  in  himself,  I  took 
a  fresh  grip  of  the  hilt,  and  prepared  to  renew  the 
dispute  upon  which  so  strange  a  pause  had  fallen. 


THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON.  309 

Eleven  men  of  the  pirates  were  still  standing,  and 
there  were  eight  of  us.  All  this  I  noted,  and 
then,  bursting  forth  the  war-cry  in  fierce  pride  of 
privilege,  led  the  new  onfall  upon  the  sullen  foe. 

And  first  we  lost  Owen  Tangae,  and  then  Will 
Barry  clove  Cuttley  to  the  breast-bone,  and  I  took 
off  the  press  till  he  could  loose  his  blade  again. 
Thereafter  the  blows  fell  so  thick,  and  the  blades 
gleamed  so  like  red  levin  flashes,  that  there  was 
no  time  to  notice  who  gave  the  steel  or  took  it. 
The  floor  was  ankle  deep  with  blood  that  steamed 
and  bubbled,  hot  from  the  gaping  wounds  of 
friend  and  foe,  and  the  smell  of  it  was  in  my 
nostrils  and  the  reflection  of  it  in  my  eyes. 

There  was  no  chance  of  sudden  gain  of  ground  on 
that  corpse-encumbered  floor.  With  a  stubborn 
hatred  each  party  kept  its  line,  and  as  one  fell  so 
stepped  another  in,  and  I  found  myself  confronting 
a  squat  and  massive  frame  of  a  scoundrel,  whose 
blows  rang  down  like  flail  strokes,  almost  beating 
my  blade  from  my  grip. 

At  last  I  got  in  and  snicked  loose  the  tendons 
of  his  leg.  But  that  gain  had  like  to  have  been 
my  undoing,  for  instantly  he  came  down  to  his 
knee,  upon  the  topmost  of  two  corpses  between 
us,  and  his  cutlass  flickered  up  under  my  guard  so 


310  THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON. 

swiftly  that  only  the  spring  backwards  saved  me. 
In  that  thrust  he  overreached  himself,  and  ere  he 
could  recover  to  guard  I  was  upon  him,  and,  with 
a  yell  of  "  Dolgoch  ! "  dealt  him  a  stroke  so  stark 
as  whistled  through  the  half  lift  of  his  wrist,  and 
shore  his  head  in  two  halves  that  fell  upon  either 
shoulder  as  he  dropped  back. 

Then  I  looked  round  just  in  time  to  see  Row- 
land Hir  run  through  the  body,  and  to  watch  him 
hold  his  slayer's  wrist  till  he  brought  down  his 
own  blade  in  one  mighty  death-stroke  and  they 
two  fell  down  dead  together. 

Three  pirates  still  remained  of  them  and  five  of 
us,  but  now  my  foster-brother  left  the  corpse  in 
front  of  him  and  made  so  sharp  an  onslaught  that 
he  first  forced  the  nearest  to  give  ground,  and  then, 
ere  he  could  recover,  slew  him  as  he  staggered  back. 
I  myself  took  on  -the  second  :  an  earringed  mask  of 
a  man  with  a  scowl  the  most  murderous  I  ever  be- 
held ;  while  long-limbed  Glan-y-Mor  drove  the  Dago 
back  into  the  corner  with  a  hurricane  of  blows,  and 
there  shent  him  of  life  ere  he  could  make  one  poor 
pass  in  return.  For  myself,  I  foolishly  allowed  my 
eye  to  wander,  noting,  for  his  master's  sake,  the  fate 
of  Dew's  servant,  and  only  a  lucky  slip,  whereby  I 
fell  backwards  all  my  length,  saved  me  from  a  cut 


THE  JEWEL   OF   yiVYS   GALON.  311 

which  would  infallibly  have  swept  my  head  off. 
But  even  as  I  went  down,  Will  Barry  leaped  for- 
ward and,  under  the  sweep  of  that  cut,  licked  in 
with  a  lightning  thrust  that  dropped  the  fellow  as 
suddenly  as  if  it  had  been  a  ball  through  the  brain. 

Just  as  I  scrambled  up,  weaponless,  and  stagger- 
ing blindly,  as  I  strove  to  clear  away  the  gouts  that 
clogged  my  eyes,  a  horrible  Thing  rose  up  from 
behind  the  line  of  slain.  The  lower  half  of  its  face 
was  shot  away,  and  one  eye  dangled  from  its  socket 
above  the  ghastly  cavern  where  the  cheek  should 
have  been.  In  its  right  hand  the  Horror  lifted  a 
cutlass,  and  I  went  sick  at  my  stomach  as,  by  the 
dress,  I  recognised  the  form  of  Pilling,  whom  I  had 
counted  slain. 

My  blood  seemed  to  freeze  at  the  dreadful  sight, 
and  not  mine  only,  for,  ere  the  rest  could  recover 
themselves  to  action,  this  grisly  remnant  of  a  man 
had  aimed  a  blow  at  my  head.  I  stooped  aside  in 
time  to  save  that,  but  the  blade  met  my  bent  left 
arm,  upflung  toward  it,  and  the  pain  of  the  long 
gash  gave  me  life  to  spring  away  and  avoid  a 
second. 

Then  to  this  one  terror  entered  another,  almost 
as  horrible  seeming.  For  through  the  door  in 
rear  of  us,  his  face  divided  by  a  sword  gash,  bitten 


312  THE  JEWEL  OF  YNYS  GALON. 

deep  in  across  from  cheek  to  cheek,  staggered  the 
gaunt  frame  of  Morris  Las.  Swinging  up  his  half- 
pike,  he  gathered  his  strength  and  rushed  upon 
his  grisly  fellow.  That  one  had  stumbled  half 
round,  and  ere  he  could  turn  again  the  shear  of  the 
descending  edge  hewed  off  the  remaining  upper 
portion  of  his  face,  and  that  fearful,  featureless 
red  front  fell  with  a  splash  back  to  whence  it  had 
arisen. 

Then  from  the  mangled  face  of  the  conqueror 
came  a  sound  that  completed  the  unnerving  of  us, 
so  unearthly  and  demoniacal  did  it  strike  the  ear. 
Those  sundered  jaws  could  shape  no  words,  but 
from  the  cadence  I  recognised  it  for  that  grim  old 
pirate  song : 

"  Lay  back  your  maintops'le, 
And  your  foresheet  let  go, 
For  the  plank  and  the  plunge  "  — 

But  at  this  juncture  the  figure  whirled  round, 
staggered,  lurched  and  would  have  fallen,  had  not 
Will  Barry  caught  it  in  his  arms  and  borne  it  out 
into  the  pure  air  and  sweet  moonlight  without. 

Once  outside,  Pierce  Aros  and  Mat  Anthony 
took  charge  of  old  Morris,  while  my  foster-brother 
led  me  over  to  the  doctor.  I  was  surprised  indeed 
to  see,  not  only  this  last,  but  the  parson  as  well, 


THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON.  313 

for  I  knew  they  could  not  have  swum  through  the 
Neck.  But  while  the  doctor  bound  up  my  arm, 
the  parson  explained  that  they  had  come  in  the 
gig  with  Pierce  Aros,  who  had  first  landed  them 
on  the  boom,  and  afterwards  lifted  her  over  and 
brought  them  on  to  the  stairs.  Then  I  asked  con- 
cerning my  father,  and  was  fain  enough  to  offer  up 
a  thanksgiving  when  the  doctor  told  me  that  his 
wounds,  while  such  as  would  keep  him  abed  for  a 
long  time,  were  still  not  dangerous.  It  was  the 
gunshot  wound  in  the  thigh  that  would  tie  him 
down. 

With  that,  I  took  Will's  arm  and  we  went  over 
to  my  father,  who  was  calling  me  from  the  stair- 
head. 

He  greeted  me  warmly.  "  Oh,  it  is  nothing  at 
all,  son !  Just  a  hole  through  the  thigh  and  a 
clip  across  the  crown,  and  I  am  going  to  surprise 
old  Doctor  David  :  see  if  I  don't !  I  am  a  bit 
weak  from  the  bleeding,  that  is  all ;  and  how  are 
you  ? " 

"  Only  a  gash  on  the  arm,  father." 

"  Ah,  I  am  glad  it  is  no  worse,  but  did  you  kill 
Dew?  I  hope  you  did,  now!" 

"  He  wasn't  in  the  house,  father.  I  sent  old 
Morris  after  him,  but  he  came  back  all  mangled." 


314  THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON. 

It  was  Pierce  Aros  who  came  up  while  I  spoke, 
and  struck  in  now.  "  Yes,  sir,  we  went  after  this 
Dew,  and  we  did  not  wait  long  at  the  harbour 
head  before  he  came  a-running,  sword  in  front, 
and  not  expecting  to  see  us.  Las  called  him  to 
surrender,  but  he  put  himself  a-shape  to  fight. 
Old  Morris  made  to  close  in,  but  he  stumbled  in 
the  stream,  and  as  he  was  falling,  Dew  slashed 
him  across  the  face.  Then  we  fell  on  so  hand- 
somely that  the  pirate  broke  for  the  thickets  in 
the  glyn  —  but  we  were  not  fools  enough  to  fol- 
low him  there,  so  brought  old  Morris  back  again. 
That  is  all,  sir." 

"  The  scoundrel !  Diaoul !  We  will  hunt  him 
down  at  daylight  and  I'll  fling  him  into  the  Jaws. 
Gad,  sir !  it  would  do  me  good  to  run  him  through. 
He  must  be  the  devil  himself." 

"  Nay,  father !  Hear  me,  sir !  Dew  is  different 
to  that,"  and  forthwith  I  fell  a-telling  of  all  my 
adventures  during  the  past  day.  I  enlarged 
greatly  upon  Dew's  history,  and  old  Morris,  who, 
having  had  his  wound  bandaged,  was  now  lying 
beside  us,  shook  my  hand  warmly  when  I  spoke 
of  Dew's  faith  and  trust  in  the  old  laws  of  the 
island.  I  did  not  abate  one  word  of  any  that  I 
might  bring  forward  in  the  man's  favour,  and  lo ! 


THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON.          315 

just  as  I  ended,  I  looked  up  and  saw,  standing 
within  a  yard  of  us,  none  other  than  the  redoubta- 
ble captain  himself. 

And  in  a  voice  as  courtly  as  ever,  I  heard  : 

"Thank  you,  cousin  Ivor."  His  arms  were 
folded  on  his  breast,  his  sword  sheathed  by 
his  side.  Standing  there  in  the  moonlight,  he 
was  as  comely  a  figure  of  a  man  as  ever  I  saw,  and 
so  fearless  and  trusting  that  I  knew  he  was  safe. 
It  would  have  been  murder  in  us  to  have  drawn 
blade  upon  him  so. 

Then  my  foster-brother  rose  up  and  stood 
before  him,  and  my  hopes  died  down  again,  for  I 
knew  at  once  that  I  must  lose  one  or  other  of 
them,  and  I  could  not  be  false,  even  in  thought, 
to  Will. 

It  was  Barry  who  spoke. 

"  You  called  my  foster-brother  Ivor  cousin,  but 
I  am  nigher  of  cousin  kin  to  you  than  he  is.  You 
heard  him  pleading  for  you,  and  I  think  the  better 
of  you  for  what  he  has  said,  and  the  better  yet  for 
what  you  did  for  him.  Do  not  think  I  hold  any 
grudge  against  you  for  your  knifing  me  in  the 
forest,  nor  yet  for  the  cracked  crown  you  dealt 
me.  I  would  have  done  all  that  and  more  to  any 
man  who  had  stolen  the  Jewel  from  me,  and  I 


316  THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON. 

like  the  thing  well  in  you.  Neither  for  the  attack 
on  Pwllwen  can  I  be  keen,  for  I  know  you  would 
be  as  sorry  as  we  are  if  you  could  know  all  the 
mischief  you  wrought  there  amongst  your  mother's 
people.  But  there  is  a  matter  between  us  that 
only  one  thing  can  cure.  All  your  life  you  say 
that  you  have  looked  forward  to  the  day  when 
you  could  be  the  chief  of  the  Sons  of  Morgan. 
And  yet,  when  you  might  have  eased  your  long- 
ing, you  turned  aside  to  follow  in  your  father's 
steps  all  the  long  years  till  now.  Had  you  come 
home  then,  I  could  have  fought  against  you,  and, 
if  I  had  lost,  could  have  followed  you  freely  as  a 
true  man,  or  died  like  one.  But  now  I  am  of  a 
sterner  temper.  Every  year  I  waited  I  grew 
stubborner.  You  thought  of  your  dream  in  the 
intervals  of  your  enjoyment,  but  I  nursed  it  day 
and  night.  Daily  I  prepared  myself  against  the 
appearance  of  the  Jewel,  salving  the  fingers  that 
had  cramped  upon  a  pen  by  closing  them  on  a 
sword-hilt,  as  I  practised  for  the  meeting  on  Belre's 
hearth. 

"  You  went  ever  with  the  power  to  decide  each 
night  whether  to-morrow  should  see  you  land  on 
Ynys  Galon  or  no ;  and  ever  you  dallied  with  the 
opportunity  I  would  have  given  so  much  to  have. 


THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON.  317 

You  had  the  Jewel  to  rest  your  dreams  upon ;  I 
had  only  the  sharp  bitterness  of  hope ;  only  the 
raw  edge  of  faith,  to  hold  me  up.  Daily  did  I 
tell  my  thoughts ;  not  to  another  man,  but  to 
that  which  listens  in  grim  silence  as  becomes  the 
knower  of  a  man's  soul,  and  with  each  daily  con- 
fidence my  spirit  grew  stiffen  Would  you  care 
to  know  that  one  ?  Then  bare  this  blade  and 
see  how  sternly  beautiful  of  aspect  it  is ;  of  how 
matchless  a  temper."  And  here,  God  wot,  my 
foster-brother  extended  the  hilt  of  his  sheathed 
blade  towards  his  cousin,  and  that  one,  noble  as 
he  in  the  acceptance  of  the  trust  of  the  thus  un- 
armed man,  took  it  in  strong  clasp  and  drew 
it  slowly  forth,  with  all  the  deep  delight  of  a  brave 
man  in  a  brave  weapon.  God's  mercy !  it  was 
a  sight  to  stir  the  pulse  of  any  man  to  see  these 
two,  whose  point  of  contact  only  the  slaying  or 
the  being  slain  could  settle,  yet  standing  so  gal- 
lantly and  so  invulnerable  to  any  ignoble  prompt- 
ing in  their  alternate  trusting  to  the  generous  faith 
of  each  other.  But,  the  pity  of  it  all !  for  the  wide 
world  holds  not  room  enough  for  two  such  hearts, 
set  upon  obtaining  the  same  desire.  They  brook 
no  mandate  short  of  Death's  to  cry  their  ambitions 
halt. 


318  THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON. 

Then  said  Dew,  quivering  the  blade  with  a  turn 
of  the  wrist  till  it  rippled  like  water  under  the 
moon : 

"  It  is  a  sword  enough  to  breed  ambition  in  a 
post,  let  alone  a  man  cousin  to  me.  You  are 
right ;  I  owe  you  reparation  for  the  years  that 
sword  has  bitten  into  your  heart.  And  yet,  my 
own  blade  is  a  worthy  one  to  match  it.  I  stormed 
a  castle  and  sacked  a  walled  town  for  only  it, 
leaving  my  men  to  share  the  spoils  as  they  would. 
It  was  a  famous  blade  and  I  coveted  it.  Look 
you ! "  and  in  his  turn  he  drew  his  blade  and 
handed  it  to  Will. 

"  Ah  ! "  quoth  my  foster-brother  beneath  his 
breath,  "  it  was  worth  the  winning,  if  you  had 
harried  a  kingdom  for  it." 

Surely  the  moon  never  looked  down  on  two 
ranker  Pagans. 

"It  is  well  balanced,  indeed,"  went  on  Will, 
shaking  it  out  before  him. 

"Try  a  pass  with  it,"  urged  Dew,  guarding  with 
the  other's  sword  as  he  spoke. 

Another  instant,  and  the  blades  would  have 
drawn  sparks  in  meeting ;  but  ere  that  could  be- 
fall, my  father  rose  to  his  elbow,  and  his  voice 
burst  forth  like  a  musket-shot  : 


THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON.  319 

"  Hold !  Put  up  your  swords  at  once,  gentle- 
men. Diaoul !  butchering  one  another  for  the 
glance  of  a  blade,  as  the  young  bloods  do  for 
that  of  a  maid  !  Shame  on  you  both  !  " 

Dew  bowed  at  once,  while  Will  seemed  to  have 
been  suddenly  called  back  from  dreaming.  Never- 
theless, they  took  each  his  own  blade  again,  and 
sheathed  it.  Then  my  father  spoke  once  more  : 

"  You  must  separate  till  morning ;  one  of  you 
to  the  waste,  and  one  to  tarry  here.  Choose  at 
once ! " 

"  I  will  go  to  the  circle,"  answered  Dew  imme- 
diately. "  I  will  pass  the  night  at  Belre's  earn. 
Till  to-morrow,  then."  He  bowed  to  Will,  and 
was  moving  away  as  he  ended. 

"One  moment,"  interposed  my  foster-brother. 
"Will  you  not  take  a  cloak  ?  It  is  chilly  before  the 
dawn.  Mat  Anthony  shall  attend  you,  and  carry 
it  at  your  command." 

"Aye,  take  both,"  pressed  my  father;  and 
after  an  instant's  hesitation  the  other  consented. 
Three  minutes  later  and  he  had  disappeared  into 
the  glyn,  his  new  attendant  carrying  a  torch  to 
light  him  through  its  black  shadows. 


CHAPTER   XXIIL 

CONCERNING   THE    CHALLENGE   AND    ITS    RESULTS. 

WHEN  he  was  gone  my  father  looked  at  Will 
inquiringly,  who  simply  answered  with  the  word 
"To-morrow."  He  meant  sunrise,  but  he  had  for- 
gotten how  near  that  was. 

Then  I  demanded  to  know  how  they  had  learnt 
of  my  danger,  and  Will  ran  over  the  matter  briefly. 

As  I  had  expected,  it  was  Pierce  Aros  who 
reported  the  appearance  of  Dew's  boat,  and  my 
father  had  at  once  set  to  work  to  effect  a  rescue. 
He  hoped  that  I  was  in  hiding  somewhere  in  the 
waste  of  the  island,  and  that  an  instant  attack 
would  hinder  any  search  the  pirates  might  be 
making,  drawing  them  off  for  their  own  defence. 
But  one  of  the  foresters  coming  home  from  the 
wood  of  Trwynhir,  had  reported  the  wreck  of  my 
raft  and  my  subsequent  rescue  by  Dew. 

Thankful  for  this,  he  had  been  ready  to  listen  to 
Will's  suggestions.  Will,  able  to  look  at  things 
320 


THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON.  $21 

from  the  Ap  Morgans'  point  of  view,  had  guessed 
somewhat  nearer  the  true  state  of  the  case,  and 
believed  that  Dew  was  holding  me  for  hostage 
till  my  father  should  consent  to  recognise  his 
claim  to  the  island.  Accordingly,  they  must 
move  warily  if  they  were  not  to  provoke  my 
death. 

Hereupon  he  had  unfolded  his  plan. 

Old  Morris  and  fourteen  of  the  Ap  Morgans 
only  were  to  muster  to  the  attack,  though  the 
doctor  was  also  to  go,  with  the  parson  to  help 
him  in  tending  the  wounded.  These  two  were  to 
sail  with  Pierce  Aros  in  the  gig ;  the  rest  in  the 
long  boat  with  my  father.  They  were  to  put  to 
sea  as  soon  as  it  was  dark,  and  fetch  so  great  a 
compass  as  to  come  round  from  the  westward,  be- 
twixt the  island  and  the  mainland,  following  the 
track  of  our  adventure  in  the  skiff.  This  because 
no  watch  would  be  likely  to  be  kept  on  that  coast, 
and  all  depended  upon  secrecy.  Once  within  dis- 
tance of  the  neck,  each  man  was  to  strip  off  coat, 
shoes,  and  hat,  and  then  to  bind  his  weapon  upon 
his  back,  over  his  left  shoulder,  and  take  to  the 
water;  swimming  beneath  the  surface,  and  only 
coming  up  to  breathe  when  necessary.  Thus  in 
spite  of  the  torches  and  the  lights,  they  had  come 


322  THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON 

safely  through,  aided,  as  they  now  knew,  by  the 
superstitious  terrors  with  which  I  had  inspired  the 
watchers. 

Scarcely  was  the  story  ended  ere  a  lark  rose 
from  the  bent  beyond  and  lifted  his  little  clarion 
to  herald  the  dawn.  Prompt  with  the  first  stave 
of  his  carol,  my  foster-brother  rose,  and  I  with 
him. 

"  Will !  Will !  "  cried  my  father,  "  be  wary !  Do 
not  take  any  risks.  Wait  till  you  are  sure  before 
you  put  one  in.  God  keep  you,  Will  Barry !  " 

Then  they  shook  each  other's  hands,  and  we 
two,  with  Pierce  Aros  and  the  doctor,  struck  out 
for  the  glyn  and  the  house  of  Nuada.  Hardly 
were  we  well  into  the  glyn  path  before  the  east 
changed  from  black  to  dust  colour,  and  ere  we 
reached  the  roughest  of  the  climb  the  earth  was 
reflecting,  wan  and  still,  the  pale  beauties  of  the 
breaking  light. 

All  the  lift  was  ringing  with  the  songs  of  the 
larks,  when  we  paused  to  breathe  beside  the 
spring,  and  for  Will  to  dip  his  blade  therein  as 
Dew  had  done  before.  A  rosy  flush  was  stealing 
along  .over  bush  and  bracken  like  a  robe  of  royal 
beauty,  and  all  the  world  was  lying  fair  beneath 
the  kiss  of  the  new  day.  But  under  all  this,  I 


THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON.  323 

remembered  the  corpse-cumbered  kitchen  of  the 
house  of  horrors  below,  and  I  thought  of  the 
corpse  which  I  so  soon  must  see,  when  I  should 
have  spoken  the  word  which  was  to  set  two  swords 
in  play. 

At  the  entrance  to  the  circle  we  found  Dew 
and  Mat  Anthony  standing,  and,  without  a  word, 
the  rivals  stepped  inside  and  stripped  to  the  skin. 
Still  with  no  greeting,  Dew  strode  over  to  the 
hearth  of  Belre,  and  while  he  went  a  shaft  of 
glorious  light  sped  past  us  as  the  new  sun  topped 
the  horizon  with  radiant  leap,  kindling  a  red  flame 
in  the  grim  Jewel  that  rested  on  the  stone.  Swift 
at  that  —  and  without  waiting  my  question,  as  he 
should  have  done  —  Dew  leaped  upon  the  crom- 
lech, his  naked  arm  holding  his  naked  sword  aloft. 
Then,  still  as  a  statue,  he  faced  us,  while  I,  with 
heavy  heart,  strode  on  alone  to  station  myself  at 
the  eastern  end  of  the  stone.  There  he  saluted 
me  gravely,  and  I  returned  his  salutation. 

Plucking  up  my  voice,  I  lifted  the  Jewel.  "  Ho ! 
Red  hands  !  The  Jewel  is  masterless !  Who  will 
wear  the  Jewel  of  Ynys  Galon  ? "  t 

Instant,  and  with  a  concentrated  determination 
ringing  through  it,  came  the  answer : 

"  I,  Meyric  Ddu  ap  Morgan  ! " 


324  THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON. 

"  The  challenge  !  "  I  shouted,  "  who  takes  up 
the  challenge  ? " 

Clear  as  a  trumpet-call  rang  Will  Barry's  voice  : 
"I  take  it!  My  blade  is  bare.  I  come." 

Seven  strides,  and  he  was  at  my  right  hand  ; 
another,  and  he  was  on  the  stone,  and  the  two 
blades  extended  in  saluting.  Falling  back  a  pace, 
I  waited  till  Pierce  Aros  showed  with  his  levelled 
pike  opposite,  and  then  I  gave  the  word  : 

"  Nuada  !  choose  !  " 

Forthwith  there  came  the  grind  of  a  parried 
lunge,  and  then,  quivering  and  gleaming  like  the 
play  of  forked  lightning  in  a  storm,  the  two 
swords  hissed  and  clashed  together,  as  thrust  and 
blow  fell  on  with  bewildering  speed.  Though  I 
had  long  known  my  foster-brother  for  the  skil- 
fullest  of  sworders,  yet  I  had  feared  Dew  was  the 
warier,  and  my  breath  came  in  catches  as  I  tried 
to  follow  the  hand-play.  Then,  as  it  ever  was 
with  me,  the  sounds  of  battling  bred  the  old  heat, 
and  my  right  hand  went  to  my  sword-hilt,  while 
I  was  fain  to  shut  my  teeth  with  a  snap,  lest  I 
should  break  unmannerly  in  upon  the  fray  by 
cheering  them  on,  as  I  longed  to  do. 

For  full  five  minutes  they  strove,  with  never  an 
advantage  to  either,  and  then,  springing  back  to 


THE  JEWEL   OP   YNYS  GALON.  325 

avoid  a  thrust,  Dew,  forgetting  the  position,  found 
only  the  air  behind  him,  and  he  went  down  at 
full  length,  face  upward  on  the  grass.  Instantly 
the  long  pike  thrust  in  betwixt  the  two,  and  I 
cried  "  Peace  !  "  By  the  custom,  Will  could  claim 
the  fight,  but  one  glance  at  his  face  showed  that 
he  would  never  stoop  to  such  an  advantage. 

"  Cousin,"  he  cried,  "  it  is  not  a  quibble  of  cus- 
tom can  settle  this  point.  Come  up  again,  and 
remember,  this  is  Belre's  hearth." 

With  a  smile  of  fairest  courtesy,  as  he  sprang 
upright,  Dew  frankly  extended  his  hand.  "  Thank 
you,  cousin  !  I  could  almost  find  in  my  heart 
to  yield  to  you.  But  that  would  be  a  poor  end- 
ing to  all  your  dreams,"  and  he  took  the  hand 
which  Will  offered  to  help  him  on  to  the  stone 
again. 

"  It  would  have  been  a  foul  shame  in  me  to 
have  taken  so  mean  an  advantage,  and  estopped 
your  chance  because  you  forgot  the  straitness  of 
the  stone,"  concluded  Will,  as  they  took  place 
again  and  once  more  saluted. 

This  time,  though  they  fought  more  warily,  yet 
they  somehow  conveyed  a  sense  of  determination 
that  all  the  fury  of  the  first  bout  had  failed  to 
express.  There  could  be  not  much  quartering  in 


326  THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON. 

that  confined  space,  both  for  fear  of  slipping  off 
and  for  fear  of  the  level  sun  bedazzling  the  eyes. 
Then  suddenly,  —  I  could  not  see  how  it  was  done, 
but  the  captain's  sword  drew  blood  from  a  short 
thrust  at  the  other's  hip.  Perhaps  this  quickened 
Will  from  having  lost  first  blood.  In  any  case,  he 
answered  it  with  a  furious  attack,  the  very  sudden- 
ness of  which  tendered  to  its  success.  For,  within 
a  moment,  as  it  seemed,  he  had  pinked  his  foe  in 
two  places,  and  the  stone  was  slippery  with  the 
trickling  blood. 

It  was  the  first  time  that  ever  Dew  had  felt  a 
sword  wound,  and  it  stung  him  to  a  pitch  of  fury 
that  distorted  his  features  and  showed  itself  in  his 
play.  For  a  brief  space,  his  strokes  fell  like  hail 
upon  the  ceaseless  shifting  guard  of  his  opponent, 
and,  at  length,  had  their  reward  in  one  that  snicked 
loose  the  skin  of  Will's  forehead,  and  dropped  it 
like  a  curtain  over  his  right  eye.  The  sudden  in- 
terference with  his  vision  disconcerted  my  foster- 
brother,  and  he  shifted  to  come  full  face,  that 
he  might  use  the  other  eye.  But  here  the 
blood  betrayed  him,  and  he  stumbled  to  one 
knee,  with  the  left  hand  on  the  stone  to  save  the 
fall  outright. 

I  slipped  a  groan  as  Dew's  blade  swung  aloft, 


THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON.  327 

with  savage  energy,  to  start  a  blow  that  should 
shear  his  rival  asunder ;  but,  ere  it  could  fall,  I  saw 
the  swiftest  thrust  that  ever  I  looked  on,  before  or 
since,  and  Will's  sword  pinked  in  between  the  ribs 
and  striped  out  full  half  its  length  behind,  while 
at  the  same  instant  he  leaped  upright,  and  stood 
to  guard  the  blow  that  never  should  fall. 

The  captain's  brand  dropped  clattering  at  his 
feet  from  the  loosened  clench  ;  his  body  swayed 
a  little,  and  then  fell  down  full  length  across  the 
hearth  of  Belre,  and  my  foster-brother  lowered 
his  weapon  —  Lord  of  Ynys  Galon. 

Again,  and  for  the  last  time,  rang  out  the  grim 
old  challenge  from  the  cromlech.  But  there  was 
none  to  answer  it ;  and,  therefore,  placing  his  foot 
in  the  hole  that  frothed,  rimfull,  with  blood,  the 
victor  bowed  his  head,  while  I  hung  the  fatal 
Jewel  round  his  neck. 

Next,  I  stood  and  proclaimed  him  by  his  new 
title  of  "Will  Barry  ap  Morgan,  Lord  of  Ynys 
Galon  and  chief  of  the  race  of  Morgan  Ddu "  ; 
and  Pierce  Arcs  and  Mat  Anthony  saluted  him  as 
their  captain  with  the  old  fierce  oath  of  loyalty. 
And  the  long  years  of  his  bitter  waiting  were  at 
last  revenged. 


328  THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON. 

There  is  little  more  to  tell. 

The  treasure  was  divided  fairly,  and  my  father 
once  more  stood  free  of  debts  and  duns.  Stretch 
by  stretch,  moreover,  all  the  ancient  lands  of 
Dolgoch  were  bought  back  again,  and  the  kindly 
system  of  our  house  inaugurated  amongst  their 
tenants  and  cultivators. 

When  my  father  and  my  foster-brother  asked 
me  to  name  my  own  share  of  the  wealth,  I  put 
out  my  hand  and  laid  it  upon  Dew's  sword,  saying 
that  that  was  a  thing  of  far  greater  worth  in  my 
eyes  than  all  the  gold  of  the  cave.  Whereat, 
they  both  shook  me  silently  by  the  hand,  and, 
when  I  shortly  did  receive  the  commission  which 
the  lord-lieutenant  had  procured  for  me,  it  was  the 
sword  of  Dew  which  I  bound  about  me  wherewith 
to  serve  His  Majesty. 

Will  Barry  led  the  Ap  Morgans,  old  and  young, 
wounded  and  well,  back  to  the  home  of  their 
ancestors.  The  ruins  of  Treforgan  were  restored, 
and  for  three  years  they  dwelt  in  peace  till  the 
elder  lads  had  grown  into  men,  and  the  race  was 
once  more  strong  enough  to  man  the  tall  ship 
which  they  had  built  in  the  meantime.  Then,  in 
the  autumn,  with  Will  Barry  commanding  and  old 
Morris  at  the  helm,  they  warped  out  through  the 


THE  JEWEL   OF  YNYS  GALON.  329 

neck,  and  shook  their  canvas  loose  for  the  hoards 
of  gems  and  the  cities  of  gold  that  beckon  across 
the  waters  of  the  mystic  seas  beyond  the  Cape 
of  Storms. 


THE   END. 


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"  Few  writers  of  fiction  who  have  appeared  in  England  in  the  last  decade  have  given 
their  readers  more  satisfaction  than  Mr.  Stanley  J.  Weyman,  and  no  single  writer  of  this 
number  can  be  said  to  have  approached  him,  much  less  to  have  equaled  him  in  the  romantic 
world  of  the  historical  novel  ...  he  has  the  art  of  story-telling  in  the  highest  degree, 
the  art  which  instinctively  divines  the  secret,  the  soul  of  ttie  story  which  he  tells,  and  the 
rarer  art,  if  it  be  not  the  artlessness,  which  makes  it  as  real  and  as  inevitable  as  life  itself. 
His  characters  are  alive,  human,  unforgetable,  resembling  in  this  respect  those  of  Thackeray 
in  historical  lines  and  in  a  measure  those  of  Dumas,  with  whom,  and  not  inaptly,  Mr.  Wey- 
man has  been  compared.  His  literature  is  good,  so  good  that  we  accept  it  as  a  matter  of 
course,  as  we  do  that  of  Thackeray  and  Scott.  .  .  .  Mr.  Weyman's  historical  novels 
will  live." — NEW  YORK  MAIL  AND  EXPRESS. 

"...  differs  signally  from  Mr.  Weyman's  earlier  published  works.  It  is  treated 
with  the  minuteness  and  lovingness  of  a  first  story  which  has  grown  up  in  the  mind  of  the 
author  for  years.  .  .  .  Marie  Wort  is  one  of  the  bravest  souls  that  ever  mov-d  quietly 
along  the  pages  of  a  novel.  She  is  so  unlike  the  other  feminine  characters  w  horn  Weyman 
has  drawn  that  the  difference  is  striking  and  adds  significance  to  this  one  book.  . 
'  My  Lady  Rotha  '  is  full  of  fascinating  interest,  all  the  more  remarkable  in  a  work  adhering 
so  strictly  to  historical  truth." — EVENING  POST,  CHICAGO. 

"This  last  book  of  his  is  brimful  of  action,  rushing  forward  nith  a  roar,  leaving  the 
reader  breathless  at  the  close ;  for  if  once  begun  there  is  no  stopping  place.  The  concep- 
tion is  unique  and  striking,  and  the  culmination  unexpected.  The  author  is  so  saturated 
with  the  spirit  of  the  times  of  which  he  writes,  that  he  merges  his  personality  .n  that  of  the 
supposititious  narrator,  and  the  virtues  and  failings  of  his  m<  n  and  w»men  are  set  forth  in  a 
fashion  which  is  captivating  from  its  very  simplicity.  It  is  one  of  his  best  novels." 

— PUBLIC  OPINION. 

"Readers  of  Mr.  Weyman's  novels  will  have  no  hesitation  in  pronouncing  his  just  pub- 
lished *  My  Lady  Rotha  '  in  every  way  his  greatest  and  most  artistic  production.  We 
know  of  nothing  mote  fit,  both  in  conception  and  execution,  to  be  classed  with  the  immortal 
Waverleys  than  this  his  latest  work.  ...  A  story  true  to  life  and  true  to  the  times 
which  Mr.  Weyman  has  made  such  a  careful  study."  —THE  ADVFRTISKK.  BOSTON. 

"  No  one  of  Mr.  Weyman's  books  is  better  than  '  My  Lady  Rotha  '  unless  it  be  '  Under 
the  Red  Robe,'  and  those  who  have  learned  to  like  his  stories  of  the  old  days  when  might 
made  right  will  cppreciate  it  thoroughly.  It  is  a  good  book  to  read  and  read  aga;n." 

— NEW  YORK  WORLD. 

"...  As  good  a  tale  of  adventure  as  any  one  need  ask  ;  the  picture  of  those  war- 
like times  h  an  excellent  one,  full  of  life  and  color,  the  blare  of  trumpets  and  the  flash  o> 
steel — and  toward  the  close  the  description  of  the  besieged  city  of  Nuremberg  and  of  the 
battle  under  Wallenstein's  entrenchments  is  masterly." — BOSTON  TRAVELLER. 

"The  loveliest  and  most  admirable  character  in  the  story  is  that  of  a  young  Catholv.  girl, 
while  in  painting  the  cruelties  and  savage  barbarities  of  war  at  that  period  the  bruch,  is  held 
by  an  impartial  hand.  Books  of  adventure  and  romance  are  apt  to  be  cheap  and  sensational.' 
Mr.  Weyman's  stories  are  worth  tons  of  such  stuff.  They  are  thrilling,  exciti-.g,  absorbing, 
interesting,  and  yet  clear,  strong,  and  healthy  in  tone,  written  by  a  gentlem?vi  and  a  man  of 
sense  and  taste." — SACRED  HKART  REVIEW,  BOSTON.  , 

"  Mr.  Weyman  has  outdone  himself  in  this  remarkabje  book.  .  .  .  The  whole  story 
is  told  with  consummate  skill.  The  plot  is  artistically  devised  and  enro'Jed  before  the  read- 
er's eyes.  The  language  is  simple  and  apt,  and  the  descriptions  are  griphic  and  terse.  The 
charm  of  the  story  takes  hold  of  the  reader  on  the  very  first  page,  and  nolds  him  spell-bound 
to  the  very  end." — NEW  ORLEANS  PICAVUNF. 


LONGMANS,  GKEEN,  &  00.,  15  EAST  16th  S^SEET,  NEW  YOKE, 


UNDER    THE    RED    ROBE. 

A    ROMANCE. 

BY  STANLEY  J.  WEYMAN, 

AUTHOR  OF  "A  GENTLEMAN  OF  FRANCE,"  "THE  HOUSE  OF  THE  WOLF,"  ETC. 


With    1  2  Full-page  Illustrations  by  R.  Caton  Woodville. 
1  2mo,  Linen  Cloth,  Ornamental,  $1.25. 


"Mr.  Weyman  is  a  brave  writer,  who  imagines  fine  things  and  describes  them 


a  knowledge  of  French  character  and  French  landscape  that  was  surely  never  ac- 
quired at  second  hand.  The  beginning  is  wonderfully  interesting."— NEW  YORK  TIMES. 

"  As  perfect  a  novel  of  the  new  school  of  fiction  as  '  Ivanhoe  '  or  '  Henry  Esmond  ' 
was  of  theirs.  Each  later  story  has  shown  a  marked  advance  in  strength  and  treat- 
ment, and  in  the  last  Mr.  Weyman  .  .  .  demonstrates  that  he  has  no  superior 
among  living  novelists.  .  .  .  There  are  but  two  characters  in  the  story — his  art 
makes  all  other  but  unnoticed  shadows  cast  by  them— and  the  attention  is  so  keenly 
fixed  upon  one  or  both,  from  the  first  word  to  the  last,  that  we  live  in  their  thoughts 
and  see  the  drama  unfolded  through  their  eyes."— N.  Y.  WORLD. 

"  It  was  bold  to  take  Richelieu  and  his  time  as  a  subject  and  thus  to  challenge  com- 
parison with  Dumas's  immortal  musketeers;  but  the  result  justifies  the  boldness.  .  .  . 
The  plot  is  admirably  clear  and  strong,  the  diction  singularly  concise  and  telling,  and 
the  stirring  events  are  so  managed  as  not  to  degenerate  into  sensationalism.  Few 
better  novels  of  adventure  than  this  have  ever  been  written." — OUTLOOK,  NEW  YORK. 

"  A  wonderfully  brilliant  and  thrilling  romance.  .  .  .  Mr.  Weyman  has  a  positive 
talent  for  concise  dramatic  narration.  Every  phrase  tells,  and  the  characters  stanc 
out  with  life-like  distinctness.  Some  of  the  most  fascinating  epochs  in  French  history 
have  been  splendidly  illuminated  by  his  novels,  which  are  to  be  reckoned  among  the 
notable  successes  of  later  nineteenth-century  fiction.  This  story  of '  Under  the  Red 
Robe '  is  in  its  way  one  of  the  very  best  things  he  has  done.  It  is  illustrated  with 
vigor  and  appropriateness  from  twelve  full-page  designs  by  R.  Caton  Woodville." 

— BOSTON  BEACON. 

"  It  is  a  skillfully  drawn  picture  of  the  times,  drawn  in  simple  and  transparent 
English,  and  quivering  with  tense  human  feeling  from  the  first  word  to  the  last.  It  is 
not  a  book  that  can  be  laid  down  at  the  middle  of  it.  The  reader  once  caught  in  its 
whirl  can  no  more  escape  from  it  than  a  ship  from  the  maelstrom." 

— PICAYUNE,  NEW  ORLEANS. 

"  The  '  red  robe '  refers  to  Cardinal  Richelieu,  in  whose  day  the  story  is  laid. 
The  descriptions  of  his  court,  his  judicial  machinations  and  ministrations,  his  partial 
defeat,  stand  out  from  the  book  as  vivid  as  flame  against  a  background  of  snow.  For 
the  rest,  the  book  is  clever  and  interesting,  ana  overflowing  with  heroic  incident. 
Stanley  Weyman  is  an  author  who  has  apparently  come  to  stay." — CHICAGO  POST. 

"  In  thjs  story  Mr.  Weyman  returns  to  the  scene  of  his  '  Gentleman  of  France,' 
although  his  new  heroes  are  of  different  mould.  The  book  is  full  of  adventure  and 
characterized  by  a  deeper  study  of  character  than  its  predecessor." 

— WASHINGTON  POST. 

"  Mr.  Weyman  has  quite  topped  his  first  success.  .  .  .  The  author  artfully 
pursues  the  line  on  which  his  happy  initial  venture  was  laid.  We  have  in  Berattlt,  the 
hero,  a  more  impressive  Marsac  ;  an  accomplished  duelist,  telling  the  tale  of  his  own 
adventures,  he  first  repels  and  finally  attracts  us.  He  is  at  once  the  tool  of  Richelieu, 
and  a  man  of  honor.  Here  is  a  noteworthy  romance,  full  of  thrilling  incident  set  down 
by  a  master-hand." — PHILADELPHIA  PRESS, 


LONGMANS,  GREEN,  &  00.,  15  EAST  16th  STKEET,  NEW  YORK. 


A  GENTLEMAN  OF  FRANCE. 

Being  the  Memoirs  of  Gaston  de  Bonne, 
Sieur  de  Marsac. 

BY  STANLEY  J.  WEYMAN. 

AUTHOR    OF   "THE    HOUSE    OF  THE    WOLF,"   ETC. 


With  Frontispiece  and  Vignette  by  H.  J.  Ford. 
12mo,  Cloth,   Ornamental,  $1.25. 

11  One  of  the  best  novels  since  '  Lorna  Doone.'  It  will  be  read  and  then  re-read  for  the 
mere  pleasure  its  reading  gives.  The  subtle  charm  of  it  is  not  in  merely  transporting  tue 
nineteenth-century  reader  to  the  sixteenth,  that  he  may  see  life  as  it  was  then,  but  in  trans- 
forming him  into  a  sixteenth-century  man,  thinking  its  thoughts,  and  living  its  life  ia  perfect 
touch  and  sympathy  ...  it  carries  the  reader  out  of  his  present  life,  giving  him  a  new 
and  totally  different  existence  that  rests  and  refreshes  him." — N.  Y.  WORLD. 

"  No  novelist  outside  of  France  has  displayed  a  more  definite  comprehension  of  the  very 
essence  of  mediaeval  French  life,  and  no  one,  certainly,  has  been  able  to  set  forth  a  depiction 
of  it  in  colors  so  vivid  and  so  entirely  in  consonance  with  the  truth.  .  .  .  The  characters 
in  the  tale  are  admirably  drawn,  and  the  narrative  is  nothing  less  than  fascinating  in  its  fine 
flavor  of  adventure." — BEACON,  BOSTON. 

"  We  hardly  know  whether  to  call  this  latest  work  of  Stanley  J.  Weyman  a  historical 
lomance  or  a  story  of  adventure.  It  has  all  the  interesting,  fascinating  and  thrilling  charac- 
teristics of  both.  The  scene  is  in  France,  and  the  time  is  that  fateful  eventful  one  which 
culminated  in  Henry  of  Navarre  becoming  king.  Naturally  it  is  a  story  of  plots  and  intrigue, 
of  danger  and  of  the  grand  passion,  abounding  in  intense  dramatic  scenes  and  most  interest- 
ing situations.  It  is  a  romance  which  will  rank  among  the  masterpieces  of  historic  fiction." 

— ADVERTISER,  BOSTON. 

"  A  romance  after  the  style  of  Dumas  the  elder,  and  well  worthy  of  being  read  by  those 
wto  can  enjoy  stirring  adventures  told  in  true  romantic  fashion.  .  .  .  The  great  person- 
ages of  the  time — Henry  III.  of  Valois,  Henry  IV.,  Rosny,  Rambouillet,  Turenne — are 
brought  in  skillfully,  and  the  tragic  and  varied  history  of  the  time  forms  a  splendid  frame  in 
which  to  set  the  picture  of  Marsac's  love  and  courage  ...  the  troublous  days  are  well 
described  and  the  interest  is  genuine  and  lasting,  for  up  to  the  very  end  the  author  manages 
effects  which  impel  the  reader  to  go  on  with  renewed  curiosity." — THE  NATION 

"  A  genuine  and  admirable  piece  of  work.  .  .  .  The  reader  will  not  turn  marry  pages 
before  he  finds  himself  in  the  grasp  of  a  writer  who  holds  his  attention  to  the  very  last  mo- 
ment of  the  story.  The  spirit  of  adventure  pervades  the  whole  from  beginning  to  end.  .  .  . 

It  may  be  said  that  the  narration  is  a  delightful  love  story.  The  interest  of  the  reader 
is  constantly  excited  by  the  development  of  unexpected  turns  in  the  relation  of  the  principal 
lovers.  The  romance  lies  against  a  background  of  history  truly  painted.  .  .  .  The 
descriptions  of  the  court  life  of  the  period  and  of  the  factional  strifes,  divisions,  hatreds  of  tho 
age,  are  fine.  .  .  .  This  story  of  those  times  is  worthy  of  a  very  high  place  among  histori- 
cal novels  of  recent  years." — PUBLIC  OPINION. 

"  Bold,  strong,  dashing,  it  is  one  of  the  best  we  have  read  for  many  years.  We  sat  down 
for  a  cursory  perusal,  and  ended  by  reading  it  delightedly  through.  .  .  .  Mr.  Weyman 
has  much  of  the  vigor  and  rush  of  incident  of  Dr.  Conan  Doyle,  and  this  book  ranks  worthier 
beside  •  The  White  Company.'  .  .  _.  We  very  cordially  recommend  this  book  to  the  jaded 
novel  reader  who  cares  for  manly  actions  more  than  for  morbid  introspection." 

— THE  CHURCHMAN. 

"The  book  is  not  only  good  literature,  it  is  a  'rattling  good  story,'  instinct  with  the 
spirit  of  true  adventure  and  stirring  emotion.  Of  love  and  peril,  intrigue  and  fighting,  there 
is  plenty,  and  many  scenes  could  not  have  been  bettered.  In  all  his  adventures,  and  they 
are  many,  Marsac  acts  as  befits  his  epoch  and  his  own  modest  yet  gallant  personality.  Well- 
known  historical  figures  emerge  in  telling  fashion  under  Mr.  Weyman's  discriminating  and 
fascinating  touch." — ATHENAEUM. 

"  I  cannot  fancy  any  reader,  old  or  young,  not  sharing  with  doughty  Crillon  his  admiration 
for  M.  de  Marsac,  who,  though  no  swashbuckler,  has  a  sword  that  leaps  from  its  scabbard  at  the 
breath  of  insult.  .  .  .  There  are  several  historical  personages  in  the  novel ;  there  is,  of 
course,  a  heroine,  of  great  beauty  and  enterprise ;  but  that  true  '  Gentleman  of  France,' 
M.  dr  Marsac,  with  his  perseverance  and  valor,  dominates  them  all." 

— Mr.  JAMES  PAYN  in  the  ILLUSTRATED  LONDON  NEWS. 


LONGMANS,  GREEN,  &  00.,  15  EAST  16th  STREET,  NEW  YORK. 


DOREEN. 

THE    STORY    OP    A    SINGER. 

BY  EDNA  LYALL, 

AUTHOR  OF    "WB    TWO,"    "DONOVAN,"    MTHB    AUTOBIOGRAPHY    OP    A   SLANDBft, 
"IN  THB  GOLDEN  DAYS,"  ETC.,  ETC. 

Crown  8vo,  Buckram  Cloth,  Ornamental,  $1.5O. 

"Edna  Lyall  has  evidently  made  a  close  study  of  the  Irish  question,  and  she  sees 
Its  varying  aspects  and  problems  with  a  desire  to  do  justice  to  all,  while  she  stands 
firmly  on  her  own  principles.  .  .  .  There  is  much  to  recommend  in  Edna  Lyall's 
books,  and  her  admirers  are  many.  The  book  will  be  read  with  interest.  ...  It  is 
yet  well  written  and  comprehensive,  treating  of  universal  principles  in  a  broad  way 
and  presenting  characters  in  whom  one  becomes  interested  for  their  own  sake." 

—LITERARY  WORLD,  Boston. 

"  A  plot  which  has  original  life  and  vigor.  .  .  .  Altogether  a  good  novel,  and  if 
the  author  has  written  nothing  else  she  could  safely  rest  her  literary  reputation  on 
'  Doreen.'  " — PUBLIC  OPINION,  N.  Y. 

"Edna  Lyall's  .  .  .  new  story  .  .  .  is  one  of  her  best.  It  has,  naturally, 
enough  of  tragedy  to  make  it  intensely^  Interesting  without  being  sensational  in  any 
offensive  sense.  The  heroine,  Doreen,  is  a  delightful  character,  sturdy,  strong,  lovable, 
womanly,  and  genuinely  Irish.  Miss  Bayly  is  a  conscientious  writer,  imbued  vC'th 
deep  feeling,  a  high  purpose,  and  her  style  is  attractive  and  pure." 

—BOSTON  DAILY  ADVERTISER. 

"  The  heroine  is  a  most  winsome  Irish  maiden  with  an  exquisite  voice,  and  she 
comes  bravely  out  of  the  involved  dramatic  situation  in  which  she  is  placed  by  an  early 
vow." — PRESS,  Philadelphia. 

"  It  is  a  very  clever  story  indeed,  and  skillfully  written.  The  heroine  is  a  bright 
and  beautiful  Irish  girl,  and  a  musician." — NEW  ORLEANS  PICAYUNE. 

"A  very  interesting  story  and  is  full  of  interesting  and  exciting  incidents,  and  its 
characters  are  well  drawn  and  sustained  throughout  the  book.  It  is  tastefully  bound, 
and  will  doubtless  prove  popular  with  this  writer's  many  admirers." 

— PORTLAND  ADVERTISER. 


holds  dearest  of  all.  .  .  .  The  book  is  thoroughly  wholesome,  good,  and  interesting 
Miss  Lyall  writes  of  Ireland,  of  Irish  ways  and  feelings,  as  well  as  of  Catholic  beliefs 
and  customs,  with  knowledge  and  sympathy.  .  .  .  The  volume  is  tastefully  bound 
.  .  .  well  printed  and  convenient  to  nandle  and  to  read." 

—THE  SACRED  HEART  REVIEW,  Boston. 

"  The  heroine,  clever,  patriotic,  self-denying,  is  worthy  of  the  name,  and  the  hero 
is  equally  excellent.  ...  An  interesting  novel,  a  good  picture  of  a  bright,  pure- 
minded,  high-hearted  heroine."— BOSTON  PILOT. 

"  This  is  perhaps  one  of  the  best  of  Edna  Lyall's  clever  stories.  Doreen  is  a  young 
Irish  girl,  who  loves  her  native  land,  and  who  is  a  credit  to  her  race.  .  .  .  Inter- 
woven with  the  story  of  her  experience  and  of  her  love  for  a  young  Englishman  is  an 
interesting  account  of  the  rise  and  progress  of  the  Home  Rule  movement.  Miss  Lyalj's 
book  is  a  charming  tale,  and  will  not  fail  to  delight  every  one  who  reads  it.  The  girl 
Doreen  is  a  beautiful  character." — CATHOLIC  NEWS. 

"The  time  is  the  present,  the  scene  is  laid  in  Ireland  and  England,  and  Doreen, 
the  heroine,  is  a  charming  Irish  girl,  devoted  to  her  country  and  her  oppresses 
countrymen.  .  .  .  The  story  is  attractively  told  and  a  very  impartial  view  of  the 
Irish  question  is  taken.  .  .  .  Doreen  is  a  most  attractive  character,  refreshingly 
simple  and  natural,  and  yet  with  a  decided  personality  of  her  own.  ...  A  whole- 
some, well-written  story,  and  free  from  any  touch  of  atheism." — CHICAGO  INTER-OCEAN. 


LQUGMAJTS,  GKEEff,  &  00.,  15  EAST  16th  STBEET,  NEW  YOEK, 


THE  MATCHMAKER. 

A    NOVEL. 
BY  MRS.  L.  B.  WALFORD. 


Crown  8vo,  Cloth,  Ornamental,  $  1  .50. 


"A  new  novel  by  the  author  of  'The  Baby's  Grandmother'  and  'Mr.  Smith'  is  always 
eagerly  anticipated  by  those  who  enjoy  a  love  story  told  with  a  charming  freshness  of  style, 
with  a  satirical  yet  good-natured  treatment  of  human  foibles,  and  witn  a  vivid,  witty,  and 
animating  use  of  that  sentiment  which  '  makes  the  world  go  round.'  .  .  .  '  The  Match- 
maker '  gives  a  piquant  hint  of  the  plot.  It  will  be  found  one  of  the  most  delightful  of  its 
author's  works,  and  comes  in  good  time  to  amuse  people  worn  by  summer  weather." 

— NEW  YORK  TKIBUNB, 

"  We  are  sure  that  anything  from  the  pen  of  L.  B.  Walford  will  be  interesting  and 
original.  There  is  always  enough  romance  about  these  novels  to  keep  them  from  any  sign  of 
dullness,  and  they  always  include  some  very  uncommon  types  well  worth  studying.  The 
Carnoustie  family  in  the  present  instance  is  one  to  keep  the  reader  constantly  on  the  gui 
vive  ...  a  well-told,  entertaining  story  of  interesting  people." 

—DETROIT  FREE  PRESS. 

"Sure  to  find  a  large  circle  of  refined  and  intelligent  readers.  The  story  is  constantly 
lighted  up  with  touches  of  humor,  and  the  picture  of  simple  family  life  and  the  feminine  occu- 
pations it  affords  is  natural  and  entertaining." — BEACON,  BOSTON. 

"...  A  fresh  and  interesting  picture  of  life  in  a  Scottish  castle,  and  introduces 
many  characters  notable  for  the  faithfulness  to  nature  with  which  they  are  drawn.  The  inci- 
dents are  interesting  enough  to  fix  the  attention  of  the  reader  and  to  hold  it  until  the  closing 
chapter.1' — THE  ADVERTISER,  PORTLAND. 

"Tells  what  befell  a  gay  London  girl  during  her  six  months'  sojourn  in  the  Scotch  castle 
of  some  old  fashioned  relatives.  .  .  .  The  story  is  a  good  one,  much  the  best  of  it  being 
the  delineation  of  the  stiff-necked  Carnoustie  family,  and  its  magisterial  dowager  and  its 
pathetic  and  comical  old  maids."— BOSTON  TRAVELLER. 


NOVELS  BY   MRS.   L.   B.  WALFORD. 


In  Uniform  Binding-.    Crown  8vo,  Cloth,  each  Volume,  $1  .OO. 


COUSINS. 

THE    BABY'S     GRAND- 
MOTHER. 


PAULINE.  DICK  -NETHERBY. 


NAN. 

THE  HISTORY  OF  A  WEEK. 


TROUBLESOME       DAUGH- 


MR.   SMITH. 


A      STIFF-NECKED       GEN- 
ERATION. 

THE  MISCHIEF  OF  MONICA 


LONGMANS,  GBEEN,  &  00.,  15  EAST  16th  STREET,  NEW  YOEK 


MONTEZUMA'S    DAUGHTER. 

BY  H.  RIDER  HAGGARD, 

AUTHOR   OF  "  SHE,"  "  ALLAN   QUATERMAIN,"  "  NADA   THK   LILY,"  ETC. 

With  24  full-page  Illustrations  and  Vignette  by  Maurice 
Greiffenhagen.     Crown  8vo,  Cloth,  $1.OO. 

"  Adventures  that  stir  the  reader's  blood  and,  like  magic  spells,  hold  his  attention  with 
power  so  strong  that  only  the  completion  of  the  novel  can  satisfy  his  interest.  ...  In 
this  novel  the  motive  of  revenge  is  treated  with  a  subtle  power  .  .  .  this  latest  production 
of  Mr.  Haggard  blends  with  the  instruction  of  the  historical  novel  the  charm  of  a  splendid 
romance." — PUBLIC  OPINION. 

"Mr.  Haggard  has  done  nothing  better  .  .  .  it  may  well  be  doubted  if  he  has  ever 
done  anything  half  so  good.  The  tale  is  one  of  the  good,  old-fashioned  sort,  filled  wilh  the 
elements  of  romance  and  adventure,  and  it  moves  on  from  one  thrilling  situation  to  another 
with  a  celerity  and  verisimilitude  that  positively  fascinate  the  reader.  .  .  .  The  story  is 
told  with  astonishing  variety  oi  detail,  and  in  its  main  lines  keeps  close  to  historical  truth. 
The  author  has  evidently  written  with  enthusiasm  and  entire  love  of  his  theme,  and  the  result 
is  a  really  splendid  piece  of  romantic  literature.  The  illustrations,  by  Maurice  Greiffenhagen, 
are  admirable  in  spirit  and  technique."— BOSTON  BEACON. 

"  Has  a  good  deal  of  the  quality  that  lent  such  interest  to  '  King  Solomon's  Mines '  and 
'Allan  Quatermain.'  .  .  .  England,  Spain,  and  the  country  which  is  now  Mexico  afford 
the  field  of  the  story,  and  a  great  number  of  most  romantic  and  blood-stirring  activities  occur 
in  each  ...  a  successful  story  well  constructed,  full  of  devious  and  exciting  action, 
and  we  believe  that  it  will  find  a  multitude  of  appreciative  readers." — SUN,  N.  V. 

'  It  is  a  tale  of  adventure  and  romance,  with  a  fine  historical  setting  and  with  a  vivid 
reproduction  of  the  manners  and  people  of  the  age.  The  plot  is  handled  with  dexterity  and 
skill,  and  the  reader's  interest  is  always  seen.  There  is,  it  should  also  be  noted,  nothing  like 
vulgar  sensationalism  in  the  treatment,  and  the  literary  quality  is  sound  throughout. 

Among  the  very  best  stories  of  love,  war,  and  romance  that  have  been  written." 

— THE  OUTLOOK. 

"Is  the  latest  and  best  of  that  popular  writer's  works  of  fiction.  It  enters  a  new 
field  not  befure  touched  by  previous  tales  from  the  same  author.  In  its  splendor  of  descrip- 
tion, weirdness  of  imagery,  and  wealth  of  startling  incidents  it  rivals  '  King  Solomon's  Mines ' 
and  other  earlier  stories,  but  shows  superior  strength  in  many  respects,  and  presents  novelty 
of  scene  that  must  win  new  and  more  enduring  fame  for  its  talented  creator.  .  .  .  The 
analysis  of  human  motives  and  emotions  is  more  subtle  in  this  work  than  in  any  previous 
production  by  Mr.  Haggard.  The  story  will  generally  be  accorded  highest  literary  rank 
among  the  author's  works,  and  will  prove  of  fascinating  interest  to  a  host  of  readers." 

— MINNEAPOLIS  SPECTATOR. 

"  Is  full  of  the  magnificence  of  the  Aztec  reign,  and  is  quite  as  romantic  and  unbelievable 
as  the  most  fantastic  of  his  earlier  creations." — BOOK  BUYER. 

"  We  should  be  disposed  to  rank  this  volume  next  to  '  King  Solomon's  Mines '  in  order 
of  interest  and  merit  among  the  author's  works." — LITERARY  WORLD,  BOSTON. 

"  It  is  decidedly  the  most  powerful  and  enjoyable  book  that  Mr.  Rider  Haggard  hat 
written,  with  the  single  exception  of '  Jess.'  " — ACADEMY. 

'*  Mr.  Haggard  has  rarely  done  anything  better  than  this  romantic  and  interesting  narra- 
tive. Throughout  the  story  we  are  hurried  from  one  thrilling  experience  to  another,  and  the 
whole  book  is  written  at  a  level  of  sustained  passion,  which  gives  it  a  very  absorbing  hold  on 
our  imagination.  A  special  word  of  praise  ought  to  be  given  to  the  excellent  illustrations." 

— DAILY  TELEGRAPH. 
Perhaps  the  best  oi  all  the  authors  stories. 

The  great  distinguishing  quality  of  Rider  Haggard  is  this  magic  power  of  seizing  and 
holding  his  readers  so  that  they  become  absorbed  and  abstracted  from  all  earthly  things  while 
their  eyes  devour  the  page.  ...  A  romance  must  have 'grip.'  .  .  .  This  romance 
possesses  the  quality  of  '  grip'  in  an  eminent  degree." — WALTER  BESANT  in  the  AUTHOR. 

"The  story  is  both  graphic  and  exciting,  .  .  .  and  tells  of  the  invasion  of  Cortes; 
but  there  are  antecedent  passages  in  England  and  Spain,  for  the  hero  is  an  English  adven- 
turer who  finds  his  way  through  Spain  to  Mexico  on  a  vengeful  quest  The  vengeance  is  cer- 
tainly satisfactory,  but  it  is  not  reached  until  the  hero  has  had  as  surprising  a  series  of  perils 
and  escapes  as  even  the  fertile  imagination  of  the  author  ever  devised." — DIAL,  CHICAGO. 


LONGMANS,  GEEEN,  &  00,,  15  EAST  16th  STEEET,  NEW  YORK. 


WHAT    NECESSITY    KNOWS. 

A  Novel  of  Canadian  Life  and  Character. 
BY  MISS   L.    DOUGALL, 

AUTHOR   OF   "  BEGGARS  ALL." 


Crown  8vo,  Cloth,  $1.OO. 

"  A  very  remarkable  novel,  and  not  a  book  that  can  be  lightly  classified  or  ranged  with 
other  modern  works  of  fiction.  .  .  .  It  is  a  distinct  creation  ...  a  structure  of 
noble  and  original  design  and  of  grand  and  dignified  conception.  .  .  .  The  book  bristles 
with  epigrammatic  sayings  which  one  would  like  to  lernember.  ...  It  wilj  appeal 
strongly  by  force  of  its  originality  and  depth  of  insight  and  for  the  eloquence  and  dignity  of 
style  in  the  descriptive  passages." — MANCHESTER  GUARDIAN,  LONDON. 

"  We  think  we  are  well  within  the  mark  in  saying  that  this  novel  is  one  of  the  three  or 
four  best  novels  of  the  year.  The  social  atmosphere  as  well  as  the  external  conditions  of 
Canadian  life  are  reproduced  faithfully.  The  author  is  eminently  thoughtful,  yet  the  story 
is  not  distinctively  one  of  moral  purpose.  The  play  of  character  and  the  clash  of  purpose  are 
finely  wrought  out.  .  .  .  What  gives  the  book  its  highest  value  is  really  the  author's 
deep  knowledge  of  motive  and  character.  The  reader  continually  comes  across  keen  obser- 
vations and  subtle  expressions  that  not  infrequently  recall  George  Eliot.  The  novel  is  one 
that  is  worth  reading  a  second  time."— OUTLOOK,  NEW  YORK. 

"  Keen  analysis,  deeu  spiritual  insight,  and  a  quick  sense  of  beauty  in  nature  and 
human  nature  are  combined  to  put  before  us  a  drama  of  human  life  .  .  .  the  book  is  not 
only  interesting  but  stimulating,  not  only  strong  but  suggestive,  and  we  may  say  of  the 
writer,  in  Sidney  Lanier's  wcrds,  'She  shows  man  what  he  may  be  in  terms  of  what  he  is.'" 

—LITERARY  WOKLD,  BOSTON. 

NADA   THE    LILY; 

BY  H.  RIDER  HAGGARD, 

AUTHOR  OF  "  SHE,"   "  ALLAN  QUATERMAIN,"  ETC. 

With   23  full-page   Illustrations,  by   C.  H.  M.  Kerr. 
12mo,  Cloth,  Ornamental  (Copyright),  $1.OO. 

"  A  thrilling  book  full  ...  of  almost  incredible  instances  of  personal  daring  and  of 
•wonderful  revenge.  .  .  .  The  many  vigorous  illustrations  add  much  to  the  interest  of  a 
book  that  may  safely  be  denominated  as  Mr.  Haggard's  most  successful  venture  in  the 
writing  of  fiction." — BOSTON  BEACON. 

"  The  story  of '  Nada  the  Lily 'is  full  of  action  and  adventure;  the  plot  is  cleverly 
wrought  and  the  fighting  and  adventure  are  described  with  spirit.  Once  begun  it  is,  indeed, 
a  story  to  be  finished."— N.  Y.  TRIBUNE. 

"  The  story  is  a  magnificent  effort  of  the  imagination  and  quite  the  best  of  all  that  Mr. 
Haggard  has  done.  There  is  no  example  of  manufactured  miracle  in  this  story,  for  the  ston" 
of  the  Ghost  mountain,  the  Stone  Witch,  and  the  Wolves  is  nothing  but  the  folk-lore  of  the 
African  tribes,  and  in  no  respect  similar  to  the  wonders  which  the  author  introduced  into 
the  stories  in  which  Allan  Quatermain  figures." — SPRINGFIELD  REPUBLICAN. 

"  To  my  mind  the  realization  of  savage  existence  and  the  spirit  of  it  have  never  been  so 
honestly  and  accurately  set  forth.  The  Indians  of  Chateaubriand,  and  even  of  Cooper,  are 
conventional  compared  with  these  blood-thirsty,  loyal,  and  fatalistic  Zulus.  .  .  .  The 
whole  legend  seems  to  me  to  be  a  curiously  veracious  reproduction  of  Zulu  life  and  character." 

— Mr.  ANDREW  LANG  in  the  New  Review. 

"  Rider  Haggard's  latest  story  .  .  .  has  a  more  pfermanent  value  than  anything 
thi»  prolific  author  has  previously  given  to  the  public.  He  has  preserved  in  this  latest 
romance  many  of  the  curious  tales,  traditions,  superstitions,  the  wonderful  folk-lore  of  a 
nation  now  extinct,  a  people  rapidly  melting  away  before  an  advancing  tide  of  civilization. 
The  romance  into  which  Mr.  Haggard  has  woven  valuable  material  is  in  his  own  inimitable 
style,  and  will  delight  those  who  love  the  weirdly  improbable."— BOSTON  TRAVELLER. 

LONGMANS,  GBEEN,  &  CO.,  15  EAST  16th  STEEET,  NEW  YORK. 


THE    PEOPLE    OF    THE    MIST, 

BY  H.  RIDER   HAGGARD, 

AUTHOR  OF  "  SHE,"  "  ALLAN  QUATERMAIN,"  "  MONTEZUMA'S  DAUGHTER,"  BTC.,  ETC. 


With   16  full-page   Illustrations    by   Arthur   Layard.      Crown 
8vo,  cloth,  ornamental,  $1.25. 

"  Out  of  Africa,  as  all  men  know,  the  thing  that  is  new  is  ever  forthcoming.  The  old 
style  is  true  with  regard  to  Mr.  Haggard's  romances,  and  everybody  concerned  is  to  be  con- 
gratulated upon  the  romancer's  return  to  the  magical  country  where  lies  the  land  of  Kor. 


the  story-teller's  art,  must  be  reckoned  of  the  excellent  company  of  '  King  Solomon's 
Mines  '  and  its  brethren.  We  read  it  at  one  spell,  as  it  were,  hardly  resisting  that  effect  of 
fascination  which  invites  you,  at  the  critical  moments  of  the  story,  to  plunge  ahead  at  a 
venture  to  know  what  is  coming,  and  be  resolved  as  to  some  harrowing  doubt  of  dilemma. 
There  is  no  better  test  of  the  power  of  a  story  than  this.  .  .  ." — SATURDAY  REVIEW. 

"  The  lawyer,  the  physician,  the  business  man,  the  teacher,  find  in  these  novels,  teem- 
ing with  life  and  incident,  precisely  the  medicine  to  rest  tired  brains  and  '  to  take  them  out  of 
themselves.'  There  is,  perhaps,  no  writer  of  this  present  time  whose  works  are  read  more 
generally  and  witu  keener  pleasure.  The  mincing  words,  the  tedious  conversations,  the 
prolonged  agony  of  didactic  discussion,  characteriscic  of  the  ordinary  novel  of  the  time,  find 
no  place  in  the  crisp,  bright,  vigorous  pages  of  Mr.  Haggard's  books.  .  .  '  The  People 
of  the  Mist'  is  what  we  expect  and  desire  from  the  pen  of  this  writer  ...  a  deeply 
interesting  novel,  a  fitting  companion  to  '  Allan  Quatermain.'  " — PUBLIC  OPINION. 

"  The  story  of  the  combat  between  the  dwarf  Otter  and  the  huge  '  snake,'  a  crocodile 
of  antediluvian  proportions,  and  the  following  account  of  the  escape  of  the  Outram  party, 
is  one  of  the  best  pieces  of  dramatic  fiction  which  Mr.  Haggard  has  ever  written." — BOS- 
TON ADVERTISER. 

"  One  of  his  most  ingenious  fabrications  of  marvellous  adventure,  and  so  skilfully  is  it 
done  that  the  reader  loses  sight  of  the  improbability  in  the  keen  interest  of  the  tale.  Two 
loving  and  beautiful  women  figure  in  the  narrative,  and  in  his  management  of  the  heroine 
and  her  rival  the  author  shows  his  originality  as  well  as  in  the  sensational  element  which  is 
his  peculiar  province." — BOSTON  BEACON. 

" '  The  People  of  the  Mist '  is  the  best  novel  he  has  written  since  '  She,'  and  it  runs 
that  famous  romance  very  close  indeed.  The  dwarf  Otter  is  fully  up  to  the  mark  of  Rider 
Haggard's  best  character,  and  his  fight  with  the  snake  god  is  as  powerful  as  anything  the 
author  has  written.  The  novel  abounds  in  striking  scenes  and  incidents,  and  the  read- 
er's interest  is  never  allowed  to  flag.  The  attack  on  the  slave  kraal  and  the  rescue  of  Juanna 
are  in  Mr.  Haggard's  best  vein." — CHARLESTON  NEWS. 

"  It  has  all  the  dash  and  go  of  Haggard's  other  tales  of  adventure,  and  few  readers  will 
be  troubled  over  the  impossible  things  in  the  story  as  they  follow  the  exciting  exploits  of  the 
hero  and  his  redoubtable  dwarf  Otter.  .  .  .  Otter  is  a  character  worthy  to  be  classed 
with  Umslopogus,  the  great  Zulu  warrior.  Haggard  has  never  imagined  anything  more  ter- 
ror-inspiring than  the  adventures  of  Leonard  and  his  party  in  the  awful  palace  of  the  Chil- 
dren of  Mist,  nor  has  he  ever  described  a  more  thrilling  combat  than  that  between  the  dwarf 
and  the  huge  water  snake  in  the  sacred  pool." — SAN  FRANCISCO  CHRONICLE. 

"  It  displays  all  of  this  popular  author's  imagery,  power  to  evoke  and  combine  miraculous 
incidents,  and  skill  in  analyzing  human  motives  and  emotions  in  the  most  striking  manner. 
He  is  not  surpassed  by  any  modern  writer  of  fiction  for  vividness  of  description  or  keenness 
of  perception  and  boldness  of  characterization.  The  reader  will  find  here  the  same  qualities 
in  full  measure  that  stamped  '  King  Solomon's  Mines,'  'Jess,'  '  She,'  and  his  other  earlier 
romances  with  their  singular  power.  The  narrative  is  a  series  of  scenes  and  pictures  ;  the 
events  are  strange  to  the  verge  of  ghoulishness  ;  the  action  of  the  story  is  tireless,  and  the 
reader  is  held  as  with  a  grip  not  to  be  shaken  off." — BOSTON  COURIER. 

"  Sometimes  we  are  reminded  of '  King  Solomon's  Mines  '  and  sometimes  of  She,'  but  the 
mixture  has  the  same  elements  of  interest,  dwells  in  the  same  strange  land  of  mystery  and 
adventure,  and  appeals  to  the  same  public  that  Lays  and  reads  Mr.  Haggard's  works  for  the 
sake  of  the  rapid  adventure,  the  strong  handling  of  improbable  incident,  and  the  fascination 
of  the  supernatural." — BALTIMORE  SUN. 


LONGMANS,  GBEEN,  &  CO.,  15  EAST  16th  STKEET.NEW  YOKK. 


m  f\f\f\  '  '"*'  "'"  "I"! 


